OKC Thunder draft prospect profile: Tyrese Haliburton

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OKC Thunder draft profiles: Devonte Bandoo of Baylor Bears vs. Tyrese Haliburton of the Iowa State Cyclones. (Photo by David Purdy/Getty Images) /

Tyrese Haliburton strengths and weaknesses

Strengths:

As OKC Thunder fans have witnessed a lengthy guard has distinct advantages. They can see the floor when matched up against smaller guards and that allows for the ability to increase the timing and receipt of their well-constructed dimes. Haliburton like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has that ability and is particularly great at processing the situation and making a quick decision.

He’s a well-rounded player who, like SGA, can fill up the stat sheet on any given night whether it be via assists, rebounds, steals, or scoring. His shooting is well above par as he seems well poised to hit the pros with the ability to score at a high clip from the perimeter.

Overall he’s shown a diverse offensive toolbox where he is equally adept at driving as he is shooting from various spots on the court.

Per Game Table
Season ▲	G	MP	FGA	FG%	2PA	2P%	3PA	3P%	FTA	FT%	DRB	TRB	AST	STL	BLK	PTS
2018-19	35	33.2	4.8	.515	1.5	.685	3.2	.434	0.7	.692	2.7	3.4	3.6	1.5	0.9	6.8
2019-20	22	36.7	11.1	.504	5.5	.592	5.6	.419	2.0	.822	4.4	5.9	6.5	2.5	0.7	15.2

Provided by CBB at Sports Reference: View Original Table
Generated 11/10/2020.

Weaknesses:

The main concern as he enters the pros is his slight frame and how that will affect his ability to perform against more muscled opponents. Much like Gilgeous-Alexander experienced his ability to add strength will be key particularly on the defensive side of the hardwood.

Although he’s displayed the ability to score all over the floor and in differing ways he’ll have issues in isolation due to his strength. Moreover, when he calls his own number and is defended well it’s the one he lacks crisp, quick decision making or tends to not make the best choice.

And while he was able to take over the main scoring role in Iowa State there remained uncertainty if he could deliver that over a long period if opponent defenses were building game plans specifically to stop him. To that end, guards who bodied him up and were more physical with him were successful at limiting his offense.

While he’s taken a big leap this past season when he took on more responsibility as the primary scorer and playmaker he doesn’t seem to have the same high ceiling of SGA. Rather, he’s more of a well-rounded prospect who could become an integral core contributor.

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