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[Saba Sports News] Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle didn’t hold back on Tuesday when reacting to an anonymous NBA player poll that cast Tyrese Haliburton in an unfavorable light.
The Athletic published results from a survey of 158 NBA players, with one of the most talked-about questions asking who they believed was the league’s “most overrated” player. Despite a wide spread of responses, Haliburton received 14.4% of the votes — the highest of any player.
After the Pacers’ 123-115 Game 2 win over the Milwaukee Bucks, Carlisle was asked about the poll and slammed it as “shameful.”
“The other guys on that list were Jimmy Butler and Giannis [Antetokounmpo],” Carlisle said postgame. “I want to see the faces of the guys who voted for them. This poll is bull—t. Not everyone even answered. The whole thing’s bull—t. It’s a shameful thing, just shameful.”
Haliburton put together a strong performance in the win, finishing with 21 points, 5 rebounds, and 12 assists to give Indiana a 2-0 series lead.
Since joining the Pacers, the two-time All-Star has averaged 19.5 points and 10.1 assists per game, establishing himself as one of the league’s elite playmakers. But despite his production and leadership, it seems some fellow players remain unconvinced.