23. Tyrese Haliburton, Point Guard
Current Team: Iowa State
The Iowa State Cyclones tend to keep an open pipeline of coaches and guards going to the NBA in recent years. The Bulls took on former Iowa State head coach Fred Hoiberg (currently with the Nebraska Cornhuskers) prior to current head coach Jim Boylen. And it appears that Iowa State guard pipeline isn’t severed for the 2020 draft.
Next up from the Iowa State basketball program in terms of guards is the elusive standout 6-foot-5 floor general Tyrese Haliburton. The production that Haliburton posted thus far should put him in the realm of the big early season jumpers on draft boards. He’s already averaging more than 10 assists per game.
Any point guard that is averaging a double-double per game in terms of points and assists in combination with the size and raw physical tools that Haliburton brings should be in the lottery conversation. Haliburton is also posting an insane 5-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio at the outset of the regular season.
Strong driving ability and shot creation are the points of appeal that will draw NBA scouts Haliburton’s way. Although he’s not off to the best start in terms of his shooting numbers from the field, he’s generally a very reliable shooters. Once those numbers catch up with the rest of his production this season, he’ll start to move his way up draft boards.