The Pacers were quiet before this year's trade deadline, sending team no. 1 star Sabonis to the Kings and excellent outside scorer Le Vere. The squad looks fragmented, but it's not. In the trade, the Pacers got two important players, Halliburton and Jaylen Smith. These two are the tenth pick and the twelfth pick in the first round of the 2020 class, respectively, and the potential is not low. Today's game these two men proved their potential, and they are likely to become the future core of the Pacers.
Although the Pacers lost to the Cavaliers today, Halliburton had 23 points, three rebounds and six assists from 60 percent shooting. Smith played nearly 21 minutes off the bench, conceded only 2 goals in 7 shots, and efficiently scored 12 points and 3 rebounds. Both of the rising stars were in hot form in this game, and Halliburton scored 12 points on all five shots in the first quarter of the game. Halliburton's hand was a bit fluctuating in the second half, but by the crucial moment of the 4th quarter he stepped up and hit a key three-pointer to narrow the gap to three. Although the game was not won, Harry Burton was good enough.
Smith, on the other hand, was working diligently on the bench, seizing every opportunity that could be seized. Today he's also on 2-of-3 shooting from outside the three-point line, and it's very efficient. This is just the first game the two have played for the Pacers. The Pacers' selection of this team is vastly underestimated. Take a look at the stars who came out of the Pacers: Miller, Artest, George, Granger, Hibbert and Stephenson all fought at their peak. Sabonis Jr. and Oladipo entered the All-Star after coming to the Pacers, which shows that the Pacers have a hand in cultivating young players.
Both Players, Halliburton and Smith, are young and talented, and they have one thing in common – low-key humility, which is overlooked by many people. Many young players in the NBA lack low-key and humble qualities, playing very unrestrained and undisciplined on the court. This low-key humility on Halliburton and Smith may help them move further.
From the perspective of playing style, these two people have the potential to be the core cornerstone of the team. Halliburton is positioned as a ball-holding offensive big core, able to score and organize. This season, he has averaged 14+4+7 statistics per game, shooting 41% from three-point range, and Harryburton's rookie season is extremely efficient offensively efficient. If the future gives him unlimited firing rights, his scoring data is most likely not bad. No, In Game 1 for the Pacers, Halliburton got quite a few shots and easily scored 23 points.
Smith is a pretty good little ball inside. He has height, movement speed, a certain amount of confrontation, and the means of attack are not bad. What is missing now is the experience of the game and the ability to defend consistently. As long as it is slowly polished, the upper limit of Smith's player is not low. Looking at it this way, the Pacers will gather a very competitive lineup in the next few years. In addition to Halliburton and Smith, the team also has Brogdon, Turner, Warren, if the Pacers all stay healthy. Harry Burton and Smith continue to improve, and this team has a good chance of becoming potential playoff contenders. The Pacers ostensibly pulled away from the core of the team, when in fact they got the core of the future. We have to admit that the Pacers made money on this deal, and made a lot of money. Dear readers, how do you evaluate the future prospects of Halliburton and Smith?