Team USA guard Tyrese Haliburton is showing the World exactly what he showed the Indiana Pacers

Haliburton is leading the second unit and drawing praise from Head Coach Steve Kerr

Team USA vs Slovenia — Team USA Head Coach Steven Kerr addresses guards Tyrese Haliburton (4), Jalen Brunson (11), and Austin Reaves during a timeout on August 13, 2023. (Mandatory Photo Credit: Joe Murphy, USA Basketball)

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton is showing the World exactly who he is with Team USA in the FIBA Basketball World Cup.

The All-Star guard proved to be one of the NBA's premier talents last season. He was the only player to average 20+ points and 10+ assists per game while shooting over 40% from long range — his combination of scoring, passing, and shooting is unmatched around the league.

Now, he's displaying those abilities on the national stage. Through two World Cup games, Haliburton is averaging 9.5 points per game and shooting 70% from the field, per FIBA. He's canned half of his threes and all of his free throws. And that's in just 19.1 minutes per game.

He has added 3.0 assists per game, though he averaged far more than that (a team-high 7.4 per game) in the USA Basketball Showcase. Team USA has routinely dominated his minutes. Haliburton is showing fans around the globe exactly what he showed Pacers fans last season. He's an incredible talent.

"It's an absolute honor to be able to do this," Haliburton said of playing for the red, white, and blue, per Team USA. "It's been a goal of mine to play for the men's national team."

Haliburton has played for the United States before. He was on the USA Select Team prior to the Olympics in 2021, and he suited up for the squad in international action back in 2019 for the FIBA U19 Men's World Cup. Unsurprisingly, he led that tournament in assists per game, too.

That's around the time that Haliburton realized that the NBA would be in his future. The following year, he was a lottery pick and has never looked back.

Now, he's shining off the bench for the national team. Jalen Brunson starts at point guard and is a leader for the group, but Haliburton is a part of a lethal second unit. Alongside Austin Reaves, Cam Johnson, and a few others, Haliburton has guided a bench lineup that has pummeled opponents.

"When you wear this uniform, when you play for Team USA, it's so much bigger than you. You've got to understand that," Haliburton said of coming off the bench. "And understand the legends that have come off the bench before us. We're no better than them." Haliburton wants to help enhance the culture of the program.

So far, that has meant being a star in his role and making his teammates better. He frequently looks to set up others and pushes the pace in the open floor. Both of those talents, in tandem, keep opposing defenses on their toes.

That's when Team USA is at their best — when they are forcing their opponents to react. That's why Haliburton plays just as much as the starters (he's fifth on the team in minutes per game so far in the tournament), he makes the squad better.

Reaves praised his passing earlier in the summer, sharing that Haliburton empowers everybody. That feeling is contagious. The whole team is moving the ball well, and the United States ranks fifth in the World Cup so far with 24.5 assists per game.

"We feel like those guys are a great change of pace. They move the ball so well, they're both such good passers and playmakers," head coach Steve Kerr said of Haliburton and Reaves. "They understand when to put it on the floor and attack, but they both have the ability to find cutters."

Haliburton and Team USA have already punched their ticket to the second round of the tournament. They, along with Lithuania, Montenegro, and the winner of the New Zealand vs Greece game (two teams that the United States has already defeated) will comprise Group J in the second group stage round. There is a good chance the red, white, and blue will move on to the Quarterfinals.

There, things could get harder. But Haliburton and company should be up to the task. They already took down two of the better teams in the tournament, Spain and Germany, in international friendlies earlier this month. The Pacers guard has a shot at a gold medal.

"I'm glad he's doing well, they're doing well. Hopefully, they can go out there and win this thing," Pacers forward Jordan Nwora told AllPacers of Haliburton and Team USA. They are one of the favorites to win the World Cup. Haliburton's talents, which he is now displaying to the World, are a big factor in the team's chances.

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