Rookie Revelation: Tyrese Haliburton already plays a big role for Sacramento Kings

When the Sacramento Kings selected Tyrese Haliburton with the 12th pick of the 2020 NBA Draft, everyone was on the same page. The player, the front office, and the fans all believed they lucked out and found the perfect fit.

What no one seemed to think is that the dividends would come immediately. It is rare for rookies to walk into the league and have a significant impact on wins from day one. But that is just what is happening in Sacramento.

Following Sunday night’s game, Haliburton ranked first among all rookies in assists and fourth in points. The most important stat, however, is the Kings’ winning record of 2-1.

TEAM DEFENSE

The biggest reason for Sacramento’s early success is defense. The Kings are switching everything when playing man-to-man. They’re throwing zone looks at their opponents. They’re even trying traps in the backcourt. The players are engaged and they’re executing.

But it’s only working because they have the personnel to pull it off. Haliburton is a huge part of that. He offers the rare combination of effort and ability. Before the draft, it was widely misreported that he had a 7-foot wingspan. After watching him deflect what feels like dozens of passes already, it’s easy to understand the mistake.

If the Kings had drafted a score-first player, things would be different. They would have to choose between developing their next core piece or playing quality defense. Instead, the Kings can do both. And they are much better off for it.

ASSISTS AND TURNOVERS

If you aren’t paying close attention to the Kings, it would be easy to miss Haliburton’s impact. That’s because so much of what he does is making his teammates look good. While he went off for 15 points Sunday, his two-point performance Saturday was just as impressive. He is a facilitator of the offense, not a feature of it.

Haliburton now has 15 assists and just one turnover in three games. No one else in the entire league can say that. No veterans, no All-Stars, no MVPs. For some perspective, consider that No. 3 overall pick LaMelo Ball currently has nine assists and eight turnovers. Ball was heralded as the best playmaking prospect in the draft, but clearly is not as NBA-ready.

Not only is Haliburton playing like a vet, he’s playing like a very high level one. The decisions he makes with the ball in his hands are impeccable. It’s obvious that the Kings feel very good about how their rookie’s game has translated to the next level. And they should.

ALREADY CLOSING GAMES

Nowhere is it more clear that the Kings like Haliburton than in the fourth quarter. When the game is on the line, he is on the court. Not only does he lead all rookies in minutes played, but he also ranks at the top of his class in fourth quarter minutes and crunch time minutes.

For decades, starting lineups were the biggest indicator of who teams value the most. But as the influence of analytics has grown and matchup-based basketball has become more important, closing lineups have surpassed them in importance.

In the first three games of the season, Haliburton has averaged 27.6 minutes per game, including 9.6 in the final period of regulation. He didn’t play any overtime minutes against the Denver Nuggets on opening night, but he probably would have if he hadn’t played the entire 4th quarter.

LOOKING FORWARD

The next step for Haliburton is scoring the ball at a higher rate. But honestly, I wouldn’t rush him on this front. The fact that he is averaging just under 10 points per game may hurt his chances at the Rookie of the Year award, but it is not hurting Sacramento’s chances at winning games.

Haliburton is doing what he did in college. He’s a game manager. When he is in the half court, he stays out on the perimeter. He’s not going to put it on the deck and drive into traffic. He’s not going to probe the midrange for high-difficulty jumpers. He takes what the defense gives him or he sets someone else up to do the same.

The Kings knew who they wanted on draft night, and more importantly, they knew who they were getting. If Sacramento continues to make Haliburton’s involvement a priority and they continue to trust him as a decision maker, he will become a very valuable piece of the franchise in no time.

This story was originally published December 29, 2020 at 7:11 AM.