Sacramento Kings: How Tyrese Haliburton can win Rookie of the Year

Tyrese Haliburton’s accomplishments

So what will it take for Haliburton to convince the writers that he is worthy of the award? It will not be easy, facing competition from both his peers and lack of media coverage. It doesn’t look as though the Kings will be making up any ground in the Western Conference standings, so team performance as a resume piece is out the window. But a combination of personal accomplishments could start to turn some heads.

Move into Starting Lineup

It is only a matter of time before this particular achievement takes place. There are plenty of fans and media members who believe that Haliburton should already be in the starting lineup, and for good reason. Ahead of him in the current pecking order is Buddy Hield, whose days with the Sacramento Kings could soon be coming to an end. A starting role is not only good for optics, but would give Haliburton increased opportunities to boost his numbers.

Achieve a Triple Double

Ball became the youngest player in NBA history to ever notch a triple-double earlier in the season, which heavily boosted his case for Rookie of the Year. There is no reason to believe that Haliburton can’t do the same. His ability to fill the stat sheet makes him a nightly double-digit threat in each category, and an increase in usage and rotational minutes could give him the boost that he needs to accomplish his first triple-double. Any games that De’Aaron Fox happens to be absent from the lineup are the ones in which to keep an eye on Haliburton’s numbers.

Rookie 3-Point Record

It could wind up being a long shot, but Haliburton has a slim chance of having the highest 3-point percentage of any rookie in NBA history. He is currently shooting 45.7 percent from deep, just a notch behind Anthony Morrow’s mark of 46.7 in 2008-’09. His hot shooting start will certainly help boost his numbers at season’s end, but it is likely unsustainable. Haliburton’s 42.6 3-point percentage in college was solid and respectable but highlights the likelihood of his NBA numbers regressing to the mean. But if he is able to maintain his hot numbers, then the best shooting season of any rookie ever would be a solid addition to his resume.