Which 2020 NBA Rookies have superstar potential?

Tyrese Haliburton

For Tyrese Haliburton, who is a Rookie of the Year favorite, maturity and talent go hand-in-hand. The Sacramento Kings guard has, outside of LaMelo Ball, made the most impact on the NBA and it’s even better because it was rather unexpected. Haliburton fell to the No. 12 pick in the draft and went pretty much under the radar during the initial lookout for the draftees.

That was until he, as basketball experts and fans call it, “had a night.” And the night didn’t come via a game-winner. Haliburton showcased an all-around game on several nights before a game-winner. Points, assists, and rebounds were accumulated and he raised the bar for the rookies. The Sacramento Kings guard currently is averaging 11 points per game, 3.4 rebounds, and 5.6 assists. Haliburton drives the conversation of Rookie Of The Year while also raising the bar for himself. It’s a good look for such a young star.

Tyrese Haliburton’s strengths include many: shooting, ball-handling, playmaking, high IQ, athleticism, and defense. If you’ve been watching Sacramento Kings games this season, you’ve heard his name the most and he’s been doing it all, especially shooting. Haliburton has this rainbow 3-point that helps the Kings and oftentimes in clutch moments, so this adds to Haliburton’s overall IQ as a basketball player. He can also been seen late in games making those types of plays for other teammates with his passing ability.

The strengths can see an increase, especially the latter two in athleticism and defense, although Haliburton averages enough steals per game for a rookie at this point in his career. The athleticism part will be solely at Haliburton’s discretion. He is 6’5″ and he drives for a fancy layup or kicks it out for a fancy pass when sometimes you wish he was about 6’7″ and posterizing someone like a young DeMar DeRozan.

Haliburton should see an overall growth in his game that will help him in continuing to play for his teammates and draining 3’s like Damian Lillard, but if he does see some increase in size and strength, he can use it to his advantage to become a more explosive player and add his name to the list of greats like Michael Jordan, Kobe, Lebron, and A.I.