Indiana Pacers' Rick Carlisle Compares Tyrese Haliburton to Dallas Mavs' Luka Doncic, Jason Kidd

Pacers coach Rick Carlisle made an intriguing comparison for Tyrese Haliburton, stacking him up with Luka Doncic and Jason Kidd from his Mavs days.

One of the season's fastest-rising stars in the NBA is Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers, who has averaged 24.7 points, 12.0 assists, and 4.1 rebounds in 12 games. He's leading the league in assists while being the main engine behind the league's most efficient offense. 

After Haliburton produced an impressive performance with 37 points, five rebounds, 16 assists, and three steals in a 157-152 victory over the Atlanta Hawks, Pacers coach Rick Carlisle compared Haliburton's passing to what he saw during his time coaching Jason Kidd and Luka Doncic with the Dallas Mavericks.

"And the other thing I really was impressed with was the way [Tyrese Haliburton] trusted his teammates when they started trapping him all over the floor," Carlisle said of Haliburton. "Certain guys have the ability to deliver the ball in a way that creates confidence for teammates. I saw Jason Kidd do it. I saw Luka Doncic do it. And now, we're seeing Tyrese do it."

Dallas Mavericks' Luka Doncic and Indiana Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton.

Jerome Miron USA TODAY Sports

After finishing a 35-47 record last season, the Pacers failed to qualify for the play-in tournament in the Eastern Conference. However, the team is off to an 8-5 start to their 2023-24 campaign, ranking sixth in the East, with the impressive play of Haliburton being a major tone-setting force behind their success. 

Doncic is the main factor behind the NBA's second-most efficient offense entering Wednesday's action, often picking defenses apart despite being a constant draw for blitzes, early low-man rotations, late doubles, and any aggressive defensive approach imaginable. While he has supreme control of the game through his pace and footwork with a lethal stepback 3, his passing against pressure is a significant asset that enables the Mavs to punish defenses for loading up on him.

When Carlisle was coaching Doncic, the Mavs set a new NBA record for the highest single-season offensive rating in 2019-20. Right now, the 2011 NBA champion-winning coach is reaping the benefits of having another dynamic offensive talent with incredible processing and passing ability in Haliburton.