Once a year, The Athletic publishes one of the NBA’s messiest and, in turn, most entertaining rituals: the anonymous player poll. It’s a rare opportunity for players and coaches to air their grievances, talk trash, and cast judgment on their peers — all under the cloak of anonymity and secrecy.
Among other categories, one of the most loaded titles is “Most Overrated.” While Minnesota Timberwolves big man Rudy Gobert is usually a shoo-in for this category, given his relative unpopularity, it seems that voters had a change of heart this season. This year, with 14.4% of the vote, that dubious honor went to none other than Indiana Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton.
How Did Tyrese Haliburton Respond to Overrated Calls?
Haliburton had the last laugh, however. The guard responded by hitting the game winner and eliminating the Milwaukee Bucks from the playoffs in just five games. In a pivotal Game 5 where the Pacers looked to close out the series at home, Haliburton put up 26 points, nine assists, and five rebounds on 10-for-22 shooting from the field.
It was a chippy game in which players had to be separated on the court even after the final buzzer sounded. Haliburton’s own father was seen tangled up with Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo following the Pacers’ victory.
Following the victory, Haliburton logged online and delivered his own two-word response to The Athletic’s poll: “Overrate that.”
Overrate THAT
— Tyrese Haliburton (@TyHaliburton22) April 30, 2025
Haliburton is perhaps one of the few true point guards left in today’s league. He is a floor general in the most foundational sense. His ability to control the tempo and exploit the defense all with a high basketball IQ has made him a great fit with this Pacers team.
His game-winning layup to seal the series was a direct result of his offensive capabilities and elite dribble penetration.
READ MORE: WATCH — Antetokounmpo, Bennedict Mathurin’s Postgame Embrace Turns Into Heated Altercation
If anything, Haliburton’s Round 1 performance didn’t just silence the haters — he gave them grounds for reevaluation. Not a traditional scoring-centric guard, Haliburton didn’t need to drop 40 every game. Instead, Haliburton delivered in the game’s most critical moments while elevating the games of his teammates.
The “overrated” label now feels slightly out of place in the face of both Haliburton and the Pacers’ Round 1 performance. However, Indiana still faces an uphill climb, as it is set to play the No. 1 seed, the Cleveland Cavaliers, in the conference semifinals. The Cavaliers swept the Miami Heat in every sense of the word. Donovan Mitchell and Company will be looking to march through the Eastern Conference as swiftly and cleanly as possible.
While the doubters are silenced for now, Haliburton still has a lot to prove in his young postseason career, starting in Cleveland.