The Indiana Pacers took a 2-0 series lead over the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night. But instead of being celebrated for his team’s win, Tyrese Haliburton and Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle had to answer questions about Haliburton being labeled “overrated” by his peers.
Prior to Tuesday’s Game 2 matchup between the Indiana Pacers and the Milwaukee Bucks, The Athletic published a series of polls voted on by anonymous players around the NBA, asking them a number of questions pertaining to the NBA MVP and which team would win the NBA Finals, among other topics.
While most of the questions posed to the players in these polls were positive in nature, one question instead asked players which of their peers was the most overrated player in the league, an unfortunate honor awarded to Haliburton.
After the Pacers’ Game 2 win, Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle was asked by James Boyd, who covers the Pacers for The Athletic, for his opinion on Haliburton being named the most overrated player in the league in the poll. Understandably, Carlisle had plenty of push back for the poll, citing how the polling was flawed in a number of ways.
“I heard about this,” said Carlisle. “The other guys on the list were Jimmy Butler and Giannis. I want to see the guys’ faces that voted those guys. I want to see the faces of those guys. This is a bullshit poll. Not everybody even answered in the poll. Guys were able to answer if they wanted to. They were asked on camera or with a microphone. The whole thing is bullshit. It’s just 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. I mean, what that guy has done. And Giannis, are you kidding me? I’m done, thank you.”
Rick Carlisle just went OFF on the anonymous player poll that had Tyrese Haliburton as the most overrated player in the league.
“I want to see the faces of those guys.” pic.twitter.com/0ATomGu9Za
— iPacers.com (@iPacersblog) April 23, 2025
While Carlisle was correct in saying that Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jimmy Butler did receive votes on the poll, they were each outside the top three in votes. Following Haliburton on the list came Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert and Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young.
While the term “overrated” is obviously subjective, Carlisle does have a point when it comes to Haliburton, who is arguably the best player on a Pacers team coming off of an Eastern Conference Final appearance last season.
The best way that Haliburton can prove those calling him “overrated” wrong is by leading the Pacers to another deep postseason run, which he himself outlined when asked about the poll.
“I must be doing something right if that’s the case,” Haliburton said of the poll. “I don’t have a big speech or comment on it. All I care about is this locker room and winning games, and we’re in position to go to Milwaukee and continue this series on. I know who I am. I’m confident in my own skin and not worried what anybody thinks.”
