NBA Draft 2020: Big Board 4.0

3. Tyrese Haliburton, guard, Iowa State

Injuries prevented Tyrese Haliburton from presenting the entirety of his case in front of the jury, but his testimony was strong enough unfinished. He is a decent bet for Rookie of the Year — the type of prospect who will earn big minutes on a quasi-contending team, and probably help them win games.

While Haliburton is highly unorthodox, he’s also highly impactful. He’s a genius-level playmaker who uses his 6-foot-5 frame to peak over the top of defenders and make reads very few prospects in this draft can make. He doesn’t turn the ball over hardly ever, and he’s also a knockdown shooter — even if his, uh, strange mechanics prevent any real pull-up threat.

Haliburton’s lack of a pull-up jumper may limit his “star” upside, but he’s too clever and too skilled to fail. He’s as sure a bet as you can make to provide at least rotation-level impact. In a draft short on elite prospects, Haliburton is the glue-guy, do-it-all prospect who can win over front offices.