NBA – Before his Game 5 fiasco, Paul George shocks about Tyrese Haliburton

Par Pierre-Andréa Fraile | Journaliste sportif

Disappointing on the floor of Madison Square Garden on Thursday, Tyrese Haliburton fully justified the debate that has surrounded him for the past few days on the NBA planet. Paul George joined in the debate just before Game 5 with a very clear-cut opinion.

Two years ago, he surprised everyone by leading the Pacers to the Eastern Conference Finals. This time around, Tyrese Haliburton is hoping to do even better, and until now, he’s given himself the means to do so. The main architect of his franchise’s latest big playoff run, he has never ceased to impress since the start of the series against the Knicks. This was particularly true of his historic Game 4.

Paul George raves about Tyrese Haliburton

On Tuesday, Haliburton scored 32 points, 12 rebounds and 15 assists without missing a beat. His coach, however, preferred not to get too carried away with his all-time performance. On the set of First Take, Stephen A. Smith also wished to calm the ardor of some and refused to consider double All-Star… as a superstar:

Stephen A. Smith: When I think of a superstar, I think of a consistent #1 option against whom opposing teams have a well-established game plan every night, but who still manages to shine. And in my opinion, Tyrese Haliburton hasn’t always been that way. Even in this series, there are a few games in which he hasn’t been a superstar. I don’t see him as one. At least not yet.

Commenting on this very debate in his Podcast P, Paul George has a very different opinion from the one reported above. Anything but a killjoy towards his Indiana counterpart, he even stuck another most flattering label on his forehead:

Paul George: I think Tyrese is a superstar, even the face of the NBA. He’s his team’s #1 option.

He’s a point guard who primarily seeks to set the attack, but he’s capable of scoring late in the game. He’s shown that he’s clutch in these circumstances. He can play in isolation. It’s just not what he’s looking for first and foremost. I want to see him continue to do that, and I know he will.

An opinion which, as you’ll have gathered, was enough to shock some fans, let alone Stephen A. PG13 nonetheless put some water in his wine, agreeing with the ESPN journalist in a way:

Paul George: Stephen A.’s point is valid. To go along with him, Tyrese is going to have to show that he can play at this level night after night from now on. It’s when you have a target on your back that you solidify your superstar status in Stephen A.’s eyes. But for me, Tyrese has already shown who he is.