Pope explains why Halliburton and Mitchell are not superstars

According to US sports media F/W reporter Nico Martinez. What makes NBA superstars? In a recent appearance on the “The Dawg Talk” podcast, NBA veteran Pope answered the question while giving harsh realistic comments on Halliburton and Mitchell. According to KCP, although these players are spokespersons for their respective teams, they are not classified as “superstars.”

"No," Pope said of whether he thought Halliburton was a superstar. "I'm not going to build a team around Mitchell, either. He's a superstar, but a superstar can win games. Can you stick to it every night? Can he average 25, 8 and 8? We're talking about superstars, guys who improve teammates and win at critical moments... We're talking about getting the team in, getting the players in, and when my team needs me to win, I'm going to get that win. I can't do that with Mitchell, and I'm 50/50 against Halliburton. Halliburton averages 25, 8 and 8 points, but he's not stable in shooting, organizing offense, etc. He's getting there, but still unstable."

In the modern NBA, many players have the ability to play big data. Whether it’s scoring, rebounding or organizing offense, the NBA is so deep and rich that anyone can get off the bench and have an impact on the game. However, for Pope, superstars must be required to meet higher standards.

Like many other fans and players, KCP believes consistency is the key to distinguishing the best among the best. People like Le James, Alexander, Jokic and Antetokounmpo almost always play for their teams, and they contribute to the final score of the game in more than one way.

As far as Halliburton is concerned, he has not been recognized due to his continuous performance. Despite averaging 18.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 9.2 assists last season and leading the Pacers into the playoffs, he failed to complete the mission and had some memorable performances. For example, like in Game 5 of the Finals, Halliburton finished with 4 points with 11 points. Worse, after tearing his Achilles tendon in the series, Harry will now miss the entire next season to recover. Even at 25, Halliburton’s game may not be the same again, and who knows how long it will take Indiana to replicate their 2025 playoff results.

And Mitchell, who has led the Cavaliers’ six All-Stars since 2022. With 24.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game in his career, he has the stats of an elite shooting guard but has no match for it. Throughout his career, back to his days with the Jazz, Mitchell hasn't advanced to the second round. Even after leading the Cavaliers to one of the best record in team history (64-18), Mitchell has also embarked on a great path with the Cavaliers, but he failed to get the Cavaliers through the first round and now his team faces major doubts about their championship battle.

The truth is that for them, to prove themselves as top modern superstars, they need to be more stable on the court and stand up at the most important moments.