Ahead of Tuesday’s slate of playoff games, The Athletic released its annual “anonymous NBA player poll,” which solicited responses from 158 players across all 30 teams on major questions related to the league. The question that received the most attention was, “Who is the league’s most overrated player?”
The “winner,” was Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, who received 14.4% of the vote from the 90 players who responded. Overall, 33 players received at least one vote, including the likes of Jimmy Butler, LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Late on Tuesday, after the Pacers held off the Milwaukee Bucks’ comeback attempt in Game 2 to win, 123-115, and take a 2-0 lead in their first-round series, Indiana coach Rick Carlisle sounded off about the “bulls—” poll.
“I heard about this,” Carlisle said. “The other guys on the list were Jimmy Butler and Giannis [Antetokounmpo]. I want to see the faces of the guys that voted those guys. I want to see the faces of those guys. This is a bulls— poll. Not everybody even answered in the poll. Guys were able to answer if they wanted to … the whole thing is bulls—, OK, and it’s really a shameful thing. Jimmy Butler would be a finalist for MVP if he had gotten to Golden State a month and a half earlier. And Giannis, are you kidding me?”
Haliburton, who put up 21 points, five rebounds and 12 assists in the victory, was clearly amused, but did not seem all that bothered by the poll.
“It didn’t impact the way I played today at all,” Haliburton said. “I must be doing something right, if that’s the case. I don’t have a big speech or comment on it, all I care about is this locker room and winning games. We’re in position to go to Milwaukee and continue this series on. Not too worried about that. I know who I am, I’m confident in my own skin and not worried about what anybody thinks. My teammates trust me and so does my front office, my coaching staff, so I’m good, I could care less.”
It would be interesting to know when this poll was conducted. After a surprise trip to the Eastern Conference finals last season, Haliburton and the Pacers got off to a rough start this season. They were 9-14 at one point and still under .500 in late at the start of the New Year. Haliburton, meanwhile, was shooting barely over 40% at that point.
If opposing players declared Haliburton, and the Pacers by extension, overrated at some point during the first few months, that would make some sense. However, if the votes came after Haliburton turned back into an All-NBA caliber player in the second half of the season and helped the Pacers go 34-14 down the stretch to reach 50 wins for the first time since 2014, that would just be hating.
Regardless, these sort of exercises are always interesting for some insight into how players view the league, but it’s also best not to put too much stock in them. After all, someone gave Jock Landale a vote for most overrated player.