Tyrese Haliburton has opened at 21.8 points and 9.5 assists with a 63.4% true shooting mark, and he is not on the injury report before Philadelphia visits Wednesday. Milwaukee showed what happens when the ball stops moving around him, and his job is to create shots for others late, not just take them himself.
Efficient without forcing it
Over four games last season, Haliburton averaged 9.5 assists, 21.8 points and 4.5 rebounds in 33.0 minutes. He shot 51.6% from the field, 37.0% from three on 6.8 attempts a night and 86.7% at the line. For a guard back from the Achilles he tore in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, the 63.4% true shooting matters most. His usage is a modest 23.1%, so he is not padding volume, and he still turns his touches into good offense. He commits 2.3 turnovers against those 9.5 assists, and the lineups he ran posted a 5.4 net rating, ahead of the team's 2.0.
Milwaukee left him alone
In Monday's 110-102 loss to the Bucks, he had 22 points and 9 assists on 8-17 shooting, 4-10 from deep, in 35 minutes, and finished a -6. He scored 7 of Indiana's 17 fourth-quarter points. The Indianapolis Star counted him at 2 of 5 from three after halftime while the rest of the roster went 1 of 17. Fieldhouse Files noted that he had no assist in the fourth. In one line, that is the problem: once the offense stalled, every possession ran through Haliburton finishing it himself, and the passing that defines this team went with it.
The verdict for this season
His deal rises to $52.3M in 2027-28 and $55.7M in 2028-29, on a payroll already above the $200.4M tax line. He closed in Milwaukee with Aaron Nesmith, Jarace Walker, Jay Huff and Pascal Siakam. Andrew Nembhard is day-to-day with a back problem and T.J. McConnell remains sidelined by a right hamstring, so the ballhandling runs through Haliburton. A 41.3% assist rate says he can carry that load. He needs to keep the ball moving in the final five minutes and swing the extra pass early enough that his teammates shoot in rhythm. Tyrese Maxey and the 76ers, who averaged 28.8 and 104.4 possessions respectively last season, will test that pace on Wednesday.
Is Tyrese Haliburton playing against the 76ers?
He is not on the injury report heading into Wednesday's home game against Philadelphia on ESPN.
How much is Tyrese Haliburton's contract worth in future seasons?
His salary is $52.3M in 2027-28 and rises to $55.7M in 2028-29.
