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As the Indiana Pacers prepare for a must-win Game 6 of the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder, former NBA All-Star Jeff Teague offered a critical assessment of Tyrese Haliburton’s offensive tendencies, raising questions about the All-NBA guard’s predictability on the court.
On a recent episode of The Club 520 Podcast, Teague broke down what he views as a significant flaw in Haliburton’s game: a reluctance to drive or operate effectively on the left side of the court.
“Can I teach you something about the game because I’m a basketball nerd?” Teague said. “And for the longest I’ve been saying Tyrese Haliburton doesn’t go left. I said it against the Cleveland Cavaliers. I even made a call to the Cavs and was like, man do y’all not realize he never goes to the left side of the court, or he never goes to the left?”
Jeff Teague says Tyrese Haliburton’s right-hand reliance mirrors Chris Paul’s playoff tendencies
Teague’s comments echoed concerns that opposing teams could exploit Haliburton’s directional tendencies, particularly in high-stakes playoff situations. The former Pacers point guard referenced early-round matchups to support his claim.
“A bunch of people sent me this today… and they were just like, Teague, you’ve been saying this from series one, series two, and you’ll look at his shot attempts in this finals. He never go to left side of the court,” Teague said. “That is amazing that all the analytics and all the people they have that study the game they still haven’t realized that all you got to do is force him to the left.”
Teague went on to compare Haliburton’s tendencies to those of longtime NBA veteran Chris Paul, suggesting both players display a strong right-hand preference and reduced effectiveness when forced left.
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“I studied him, and I studied Chris Paul… and Chris Paul and him are very similar,” Teague added. “So when I was watching the Cleveland series, I’m like, ‘hey, you need to play them how we played Chris Paul.’ I did all my film studies on Chris Paul when he was in the finals, and I know he never shoots left-hand layups.”
Haliburton’s limitations under spotlight as Pacers face elimination against Thunder in NBA Finals
Teague elaborated that Paul and Haliburton both favor shooting threes when moving left but rarely attempt midrange or at-rim shots going in that direction.
“Everything he do is a right-hand fade when he gets to his middy,” Teague continued. “He never going to the basket with his left hand… They pass way better going right because they can get downhill and make that skip pass or whatever. They don’t really pass well with their left hand. And I’m like, damn, he reminds me of Chris Paul.”
Haliburton has averaged 17.9 points, 9.1 assists, and 5.8 rebounds this postseason, helping lead the Pacers to their first NBA Finals appearance since 2000. However, he has battled a right calf strain and struggled offensively in Game 5, scoring just four points on 0-of-6 shooting.
The Pacers trail the Thunder 3-2 in the best-of-seven series and face elimination Thursday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Tip-off for Game 6 is at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
