Cooper Flagg: Tyrese Haliburton is NBA's most underrated player

Haliburton has gone out of his way in the past to say that he wants to be a “good mom” for the Pacers, that is, he wants to make sure that his entire team eats. But as a superstar in his own right, there are nights where he has to hunt for his own shot more proactively. And when he does, he typically lights it up from beyond the arc, reminding Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas of another Indiana sporting icon at present in Caitlin Clark. “The way [Haliburton] played the game [on Tuesday night], this is a Caitlin Clark type of game. He’s shooting it from way, way, way, way, way, way, way, way out there,” Thomas said, via NBA on ESPN on Instagram. “I see a lot of her in his game right now.” -via Clutch Points / May 15, 2025

Indiana is peaking at the right time. It was 16-18 on Dec. 31 and finished 50-32, going 34-14 in the final 48 games to gain the No. 4 seed. That was the fourth-best record since Jan. 1 behind the Oklahoma City Thunder (41-9), Boston Celtics (37-12) and Cleveland Cavaliers (35-14). “It’s a special feeling,” Haliburton said. “I’m not going to sit here and talk like I got so many years of experience. I’m in my fifth year. But something I’ve learned from my vets, and just being in the NBA for enough time, is not to take winning for granted. This is a special time, back-to-back Eastern Conference finals. We’re not done. We still got a ways to go.” -via New York Times / May 14, 2025

With Darius Garland injured, Jerome scored 21 points on 20 shots in Game 1, then went 1-for-14 in Game 2 and was the defender who lost track of Tyrese Haliburton on the Pacers’ game winner. Jerome got off to another slow start in Game 3, shooting 1-for-8, and at that point coach Kenny Atkinson had seen enough. Jerome played just 13 minutes, by far his lowest total of the postseason, as Sam Merrill passed him on the depth chart. By Game 5, Jerome couldn’t get off the bench until the second half. Already facing financial pressures as a projected second apron team next season, the Cavaliers might now conclude that Jerome isn’t worth retaining if he can’t even stay on the floor in their most important games. And Jerome’s struggles in the playoff pressure cooker might also scare off potential suitors who would otherwise be interested in seeing what he could do with more touches. -via ESPN / May 14, 2025

“Now, Paul George — he has a podcast and he’s back. He said a couple months ago that he thinks Ace Bailey is a better pick than Cooper Flagg. Has Paul let you know his opinion?” Daryl Morey: “I haven’t spoken to Paul directly, although I was with his agent yesterday. The combine here is a big agent get-together. And look — Ace is a tremendous player, absolutely someone we’re considering. We’re looking at every option at three and the players we can pick, but we feel very good about who we’re going to pick, and Ace, for sure, is someone we’re considering.” -via YouTube / May 15, 2025

When NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum announced that the Mavericks had won, well, he didn’t seem to expect it either. “I was surprised, like a lot of people,” Cooper Flagg said Wednesday. “It was kind of a crazy draft lottery.” -via New York Times / May 14, 2025

Cooper Flagg didn’t offer much commentary on his possible place with the Mavericks but seemed optimistic about how he would fit in. “They got a lot of really good pieces,” he said, adding, “I think it’ll be a really cool opportunity.” -via New York Times / May 14, 2025