The Golden State Warriors were linked to Iowa State sophomore point guard Tyrese Haliburton, a potential target in the 2020 NBA Draft.
Haliburton is a fantastic basketball player who ranks No. 8 overall on our big board at Rookie Wire. He is one of the most NBA-ready 3-and-D prospects in the class, as he shot 41.9% from 3-point range and his steal percentage (3.8%) ranked second-best among high-major underclassmen.
Connor Letourneau reported that Golden State would consider selecting the Iowa State standout guard if their lottery pick ends up between No. 2 and No. 5 overall (via SF Chronicle):
“He’s an elite passer who takes sound shots and can play off the ball when necessary. On defense, Haliburton has the length and athleticism to defend multiple positions. I’ve been told that he has emerged as the No. 1 point guard on the Warriors’ board — yes, above LaMelo Ball and Killian Hayes.”
First, it is worth addressing the main reason why Haliburton would be a good fit for Golden State.
Simply, he makes open shots, which is a fundamental aspect of how the offense succeeds for the Warriors. Haliburton was 20-for-37 (54.1%) on unguarded 3-pointers last season.
He averaged 1.58 points per possession when taking unguarded catch-and-shoot opportunities, per Synergy, which ranked 95th percentile in the NCAA.
It is hard to find a point forward with a 6-foot-5 frame and 6-foot-8 wingspan who can shoot better than Haliburton. He stretches the floor, which is exactly where Golden State has revolutionized basketball.
The Warriors have always believed in selecting the best player available regardless of position, like selecting Stephen Curry when Monta Ellis was still on their roster. But the reality is that Curry is not fading into the sunset any time soon and the idea of him being replaced by Haliburton in the first unit is too preposterous to even utter. Letourneau continued:
“Though he wouldn’t project to supplant Curry as the starting point guard anytime soon, he could slide in as the primary ball-handler for the second unit immediately. Think of him as Shaun Livingston before the knee injury.”
His assist-to-usage rate shows he can be an elite distributor without needing the offense to run through him. This suggests he would be a great choice for a team with a high-usage two-guard, making him potentially compatible with the Phoenix Suns alongside Devin Booker.
Haliburton projects as an immediately viable starter for most teams, though his role would look different for the Warriors if relegated to the second unit.
Golden State would need bench scoring and unlike Hayes and Ball, that is not where Haliburton shines. Hayes ranked fifth-best for isolation scoring (2.3 ppg) in the EuroCup while Ball ranked second-best in isolation scoring (2.8 ppg) among all players in the Australian NBL.
Haliburton has struggled to create his own shot and scored only 0.6 ppg in isolation, per Synergy, If he is not in the starting lineup, his low-usage rate will become less attractive and one-on-one scoring would instead be more valuable.
Haliburton, meanwhile, was just 11-for-45 (24.4%) on 3-pointers taken off the dribble during his sophomore season.
It is simply not in his nature to take jumpers off the bounce, hitting just two of these attempts during his entire freshman campaign. Compare that once again to Hayes, who led all participants in points scored off dribble jumpers during the FIBA U17 World Cup.
If the front office for the Warriors truly believed Haliburton would make sense for their roster, recent history suggests they would not hesitate to select him even though he plays the same position as their superstar point guard in Stephen Curry.
However, given the draft needs of Golden State, their high lottery pick would be better spent for: a viable starting big man (e.g. Onyeka Okongwu or James Wisman), an athletic forward who could eventually replace Draymond Green (e.g. Patrick Williams or Obi Toppin) or one of the guards mentioned above that can provide bench scoring (e.g. Hayes and Ball).
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