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Iowa State Alum Tyrese Haliburton Receives Praise From Hall of Famer
Jun 8, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) shoots the ball against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Isaiah Joe (11) during the first quarter during game two of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Iowa State alum and Indiana Pacers star guard Tyrese Haliburton has received major praise from Hall of Fame coach Don Nelson.

"I love his game. I do wish he was a little more aggressive. He's very unselfish — probably too unselfish. He should probably be a little more aggressive offensively. But he makes the right play almost every time," Nelson said.

This is high praise from Nelson, who is one of the most accomplished coaches in NBA history. Nelson is second all-time in regular season wins among all coaches in league history with 1,335 wins. He won five championships as a player and won three Coach of the Year awards.

Nelson's praise for Haliburton is deserved, as he's having an incredible playoff run. Haliburton has led the Pacers to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2000.

In the postseason, Haliburton is averaging 18.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 9.3 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. He is shooting 46.9 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from three.

While Nelson praised Haliburton, he also offered some criticism for the 25-year-old. Haliburton may make the right play for almost every team, but he can show a lack of aggressiveness at times.

This has been evident throughout the playoffs as Haliburton has had games where he isn't aggressive as a scorer, leading to a Pacers loss.

In games where Haliburton has come out aggressive, balancing his scoring and playmaking for his teammates, Indiana has fared much better.

The Iowa State alum is earning respect from Hall of Famers like Nelson, but to win the NBA title over the Oklahoma City Thunder, he will need to be more aggressive.

Read More Iowa State Cyclones Coverage


This article first appeared on Iowa State Cyclones on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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