Halliburton, who possesses magic, has the shadow of Curry and Nash

NBA playoffs have reached a fever pitch, old superstars have failed one after another, and new generations of stars have collectively seized power. When legendary stars such as James and Curry bid farewell to the playoff stage early, a 25-year-old tall and thin defender was rewriting the league structure with his magical performance - he is the star of the Indiana Pacers, Tyres Halliburton.

Starting from the bench in Sacramento to becoming the absolute core of the Pacers, Halliburton's growth always surprises us. In the summer of 2023, the Pacers management completed the "big bet" with a five-year maximum salary contract of US$245 million, directly pushing him to the team leader. The young man who was teased as a "bamboo pole figure" in the draft did not let the opportunity slip away. He won the assist king last season, was selected into the three teams of the best team, and led the team to the Eastern Conference Finals. Although he eventually lost to the Celtics, everyone saw the bright future of this team.

This season, the Eastern Conference has been surrounded by powerful men, but the Pacers have quietly become stronger. The regular season record of 50 wins and 32 losses seems mediocre, but the playoffs have completely played the momentum they should have. In the first round, the gentleman swept the Bucks 4-1, overturned the Cavaliers 4-1, and in the first round, the Eastern Conference Finals even reversed the Knicks by 17 points overtime. The Pacers used their smooth attack to shut up all those who were dissatisfied. The terrifying depth of 10 players in the G1 team in the Eastern Conference Finals, 6 players in double-digit scores, and the offensive network woven by Halliburton with passes are the basis for the Pacers to reach their current position.

Since the playoffs, the point guard upstart has delivered comprehensive data of 18.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 9.5 assists per game. What's even more terrifying is the terrifying efficiency of 104 assists and only 23 turnovers. When he hit a jump shot at the tie before the end of G1's regular time in the Eastern Conference Finals, scoring 31 points and 11 assists in the game, the media people who voted for his "most overrated player" probably had to delete their social media updates overnight.

In my opinion, Halliburton's magic show is not a flash in the pan. This player has the genes of an old-school point guard in his bones, and his passing vision is comparable to Nash's reincarnation. His cold-bloodedness at the critical moment is very similar to Curry's possession. Just look at the data, you can tell how outrageous it is. You can top the assists in the playoffs, but the average turnover is only half of Antetokounmpo's. The "Use Magic without consuming Blue" style of playing has indeed brought constant surprises to our fans, and Halliburton is still the king's return after all.

The Pacers' management dares to spend the maximum salary, but it is not that it costs too much money. Halliburton has a rare trait of contemporary players - he can make role players perform in super games. After Siakam arrived, his shooting efficiency has improved a lot, and his three-point shooting percentage in the playoffs this season was as high as 41.7%; Turner has played in India City for many years and has now become an all-around space-based insider. How unreasonable is this guy passing the ball? Often, when I was about to make a mistake, I shook my hand and found my teammates through the three-man defense line, as if I had a perspective plug-in.

Of course, Halliburton's magic also has "side effects". Those black fans who are waiting to see him jokes are now embarrassed. After all, the shooting percentage of key balls in the playoffs is as high as 47.4%. What's even more amazing is that this guy is clearly at the highest salary in the team, but he is like a desperate Saburo who gets the basic salary when playing basketball. In the overtime of the Eastern Conference Finals, he ran all over the court and felt tired of defending, so he turned around and sent assists on the offensive end. The contrast directly silenced the away fans.

Of course, Halliburton's ability to perform such an excellent performance is inseparable from head coach Carlisle; he designed a "all-people are soldiers" system around him, and the rotation of 10 people sounds scary, but in fact he uses Halliburton's passing talent to the extreme. When the opponent was still struggling to double-team him or empty the role player, the Pacers' three-point rain had already been poured down, which was indeed a historical offense. The "use magic to defeat magic" style may be the mainstream trend in the future of the NBA, and even stars may not necessarily win the championship.

The real magician is the one who can enter the Eastern Conference through team basketball! What do you think of Jokic and Doncic?