Posted December 8 2023
When is too soon to start talking about those three letters?
They mean way more than ‘most valuable’.
It means going down in NBA history and being remembered by not just this generation, but all future ones. It means you’re going to be joining all the greats in the Hall of Fame.
The term 'MVP potential' is thrown around quite a bit, probably too loosely.
While it won't be this year, but it's not too early to begin the MVP hype for Tyrese Haliburton.
The 23 year old 'Hali' broke out last season for the Pacers with his first All Star bid, finishing the year averaging 20.7 points and 10.4 assists a game. Impressive season, but it pales in comparison to his 'breakout' this year.
Through the first two months of the season, Haliburton is up to averaging 26.9 points and a league-leading 11.9 assists, and maybe even more impressive shooting over 52% from the field, and 44.7% from 3.
The volume he's putting up on elite efficiency is hard to comprehend, maybe because it's never been done before for a full season. If he keeps up the 27+ ppg and 11+ apg at a 50%+ FG%, it'll be the first time that's ever been done in the NBA.
You could go all day with his numbers and stack them up with the elite:
3.9 3PM/G is 2nd in the league, only behind Steph Curry
63% eFG is 1st in the league for Guards
138.5 ORTG is 1st in the league for Guards
3.0 Offensive Win Shares is 2nd in the league, only behind Nikola Jokic
29.0 PER is 4th in the league
There is one important stat that is lacking for a real MVP contender so far, and it's the biggest. Wins.
The Indiana Pacers sit at just two games above .500, and right on the cusp of the playoffs and the play-ins.
It's easy to discount their win total win looking at young teams like the Thunder, Timberwolves, and Magic breaking out early this year, but the Pacers are still on the right track.
It’s only been two years since the Pacers won 25 games all year and were one of the worst teams in the league before they traded for Haliburton.
Last season, their first full year with him, they raised that up to 35 wins.
This season, they're on pace for an even bigger increase with a projected 49-33 record.
It may not be this season, but come about 12 months from now if the Pacers make one more jump in the same direction, we're going to be seeing the entire community betting on Haliburton to join the record books as the next name on the 'Michael Jordan Trophy'.
