Indiana Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton (knee) is considered questionable for Saturday's matchup against the Heat. Indiana's rising star just hit a career-high 44 points on Thursday versus Miami, but it looks like he also hurt himself in the contest, with the team adding him on the injury report with a right knee bruise. Haliburton has had a fantastic season, and in November, he became only the third player in NBA history to average 25 points and 10 assists while shooting 50 percent from the floor and 40 percent from downtown in a month. T.J. McConnell and Andrew Nembhard will have massive boots to fill if Haliburton can't play.

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton has vaulted himself into the top of the MVP mix after posting his 13th double-double of the year in just 16 games. The up-and-coming star finished with 44 points, 10 assists, two rebounds, three steals, one block, and just two turnovers. He shot 15-for-28 from the floor and knocked down six threes in the process. His court vision and shot-making have been on a different level so far this year and he could turn out to be a top-two fantasy option by the time the year ends.

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (wrist) has popped up on the injury report as questionable for the team's game on Friday against the Detroit Pistons. They're currently listing six different players as questionable for this game, three of them are two-way players. If Haliburton can't suit up, and Andrew Nembhard (back) also gets downgraded, then Bennedict Mathurin and T.J. McConnell will likely take over the ball-handling duties on Friday. Fantasy managers will want to stay tuned for updates leading up to tipoff.

Indiana Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton eased his way to another double-double in Wednesday's 132-131 loss to Toronto, racking up 33 points and 16 assists. It was his third double-double in four games with at least 30 points and 15 assists. He got there this time around with 12-for-22 shooting, hitting 5-for-10 from deep. Haliburton also extended his streak with at least one block to five games and grabbed three rebounds. It's been a very special start to the season from Haliburton, who has notched 25.3 points per game with 12.3 assists, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.1 steals.

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton put his playmaking abilities on full display during their loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday evening. The star point guard posted 25 points, 17 assists, one rebound, two steals, one block, and no turnovers while knocking down nine of his 14 shot attempts and three shots from deep. Haliburton has been the main cog to push this Pacers offense to new heights as they have the league's highest-scoring unit that averages 126 points per game. So far, he's lived up to first-round ADP in all fantasy formats and he'll look to prove it again in their next game against the 76ers again.

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (ankle) could miss Saturday's matchup with the Charlotte Hornets. Haliburton is on the injury report because of a sprained ankle, keeping him off the floor for Wednesday's blowout loss to the Boston Celtics. While he managed to return on Friday night against Cleveland, the ailment was apparently still impacting him, considering he shot 5-for-14 from the field while missing all five tries from behind the arc. Nonetheless, if the 23-year-old isn't in the lineup versus the Hornets, Andrew Nembhard, averaging 14.0 points as a starter, will likely remain with the first five. T.J. McConnell could also see enough minutes to warrant fantasy consideration in deeper setups.

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (ankle) will play on Friday night against Cleveland. The 23-year-old missed Indiana's previous game in Boston because of a sprained ankle, so fantasy managers are thrilled with the latest update. Haliburton has averaged 20.0 points and 12.3 assists this season, meaning he should be featured in every fantasy lineup. However, with Haliburton back in the lineup, Andrew Nembhard will head back to the bench and should see a drop in production. At the same time, T.J. McConnell, coming off an 18-point, seven-rebound, five-assist performance against the Celtics, likely won't play enough to warrant consideration in any fantasy format.

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (ankle) is questionable ahead of Friday's matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The 23-year-old is having another fantastic season, averaging 20.0 points, 12.3 assists, and 1.0 steals in three games. Unfortunately, he's battling a sprained right ankle, keeping him off the floor for Wednesday's blowout loss to the Boston Celtics. If Haliburton isn't healthy enough to return on Friday night, Andrew Nembhard and T.J. McConnell will likely continue to see extra minutes. However, McConnell, who had 18 points, seven boards, and five assists on Wednesday, has a higher fantasy ceiling, even though he'll likely come off the bench.

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (ankle) is out for Wednesday's game against the Boston Celtics. Haliburton suffered an ankle sprain after landing on teammate Jalen Smith's foot in Monday's 112-105 to the Chicago Bulls, but he didn't need to exit the contest early. But the 23-year-old All-Star will need to miss at least one game with the injury, and we'll have to wait and see if he returns to play on Friday versus the Cleveland Cavaliers. T.J. McConnell, who averaged 14.3 points, 8.2 assists, and 1.6 steals in 20 games sans Haliburton last season, could resurface in head coach Rick Carlisle's rotation on Wednesday. More playmaking will be needed out of Andrew Nembhard, too.

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (ankle), who didn't practice on Tuesday, is questionable for Wednesday's game against the Boston Celtics. Haliburton suffered an ankle sprain after stepping on teammate Jalen Smith's foot during Monday's 112-105 to the Chicago Bulls, but he didn't need to leave the game early. It puts the 23-year-old All-Star's status for Wednesday's action into jeopardy, and we'll have to wait and see if he participates in morning shootaround to get a clearer idea on his likelihood of playing. It could also come down to a game-time decision based on pregame warmups. T.J. McConnell, who averaged 14.3 points, 8.2 assists, and 1.6 steals in 20 games without Haliburton last year, could re-enter head coach Rick Carlisle's rotation if Haliburton is out. More playmaking would be asked of Andrew Nembhard in this case, as well.

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (non-Covid Illness) has popped up on the injury report with a questionable status for the team's Saturday night game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The star guard wasn't previously on the injury report and the severity of his illness is unknown at the moment. Fantasy managers depending on Haliburton should stay tuned for more updates as tipoff approaches. If he has to stay on the sidelines, Andrew Nembhard would likely move up into the starting lineup while T.J. McConnell would see some more opportunities off of the bench.

It's funny that every year at the NBA Draft, once the end of the guaranteed money and live appearances arrives at the end of the first round, everybody tunes out and refers to the 60th pick as "Mr. Irrelevant." That's not very accurate though, is it?Speaking historically, the title of "Mr. Irrelevant" could just as easily be applied to each pick in the draft, as organizations differ greatly in their evaluation of talent and their own needs, particularly in a year without the NCAA tournament. The nickname just doesn't reflect how basketball works anymore. Executives strategically stockpile second-round draft picks for the less burdensome financial obligations, and organizations in rebuilding mode get super creative to field a respectable team on a budget.Particularly in the NBA where worldwide talent is plentiful and positional lines continue to fade, the opportunity is everything: in the right situation, the right under-the-radar player can make an immediate, poignant statement. With professional development leagues for 16-18-year-olds, an ever-expanding set of domestic/international opportunities due to the sheer growth of basketball, and widespread NIL rights for college athletes, players of all levels and localities are starting to get their due exposure and now have enough freedom to hone their skills in a place, and at a pace, that fits best with their path to the NBA. 

Introduction

I am inherently skeptical and distrusting of scouting from the high school level to pre-Draft. That's why in this annual article, I tend to favor overlooked college players (love the mid-majors/non-power conferences) with either well-rounded, polished games or specific statistical specialties.We are going to discuss a handful of 2023 second-round picks and undrafted free agent signees who, given their individual skillsets and circumstances, warrant the attention of Fantasy Basketball Managers as potential high-impact rookies for the 2023-24 campaign who can quietly be acquired on clearance once they start showing signs of emergence.As I will frequently emphasize and reiterate: in 2023, there is very little difference between the vast majority of second-round draft picks and undrafted free agents--it always all comes down to the skillsets they possess, their capacity for growth, and the situations they've landed in.Seasons will be made and broken with early identification of the diamond-in-the-rough rookies. I used to list out the many examples from the past season in this introduction portion, but we are now in a beautiful era where there are just too many to count. There is also very little separating the featured players below and those dubbed "Honorable Mentions"--so put in the work and keep an eye out throughout the regular season for who is receiving and seizing their opportunities. 

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Indiana Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton appears ready to take his game up a further notch in 2023-24, with NBA skills coach Drew Hanlen saying that the young guard has improved his driving and scoring ability the most this offseason. Haliburton became a 20-point scorer for the first time in his career last season, averaging 20.7 points across 56 contests. He was a nightly double-double threat with a 10.4 assists average, and Hanlen sees Haliburton now becoming an even bigger threat for opposing defenses.

Team USA guard Tyrese Haliburton posted a very good all-around performance while blowing out Italy in the quarterfinal matchup. The Pacers star registered 18 points on 6-for-8 shooting from downtown, five assists, four rebounds, three steals, and one block. He only attempted one shot that wasn't a three and it didn't go down. His contributions were much-needed as Anthony Edwards was the only one providing scoring during their loss to Lithuania in the game prior. As long as Haliburton and the bench unit can keep providing value behind the starters, Team USA could find themselves with gold medals.

It's a crazy time of year around the National Basketball Association. Not long after the Denver Nuggets captured the franchise's first championship, French big manVictor Wembanyama was the top pick of the 2023 Draft.While new talent entering the league is all well and good, nothing turns the NBA upside down quite like the beginning of free agency. Since June 30, many notable players have signed with new teams. There were also more than a few significant trades. In either case, at least a handful of clubs will look very different (for the better?) come training camp. Let's take a look at some of the biggest names on the move and how they might affect the NBA landscape this season. 

Fred VanVleet - Houston Rockets

The Rockets entered the 2022-23 campaign as the second-youngest team in the National Basketball Association, and it showed. The club finished with 22 wins and 60 losses, with the Pistons being the only team with a worse record. As a result, the front office made a point to shake things up after the exhaustingly long year came to a close.The overhaul began when Stephen Silas, winning just 59 of his 236 games in Houston, was relieved of his head coaching duties. In his place, Ime Udoka, who helped guide the Celtics to an NBA Finals appearance in his first season, took the reigns. While Udoka's tenure in Boston didn't end on a positive note, he's still regarded as one of the sharpest minds in the league, even by those who lost respect for him on a personal level.https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1650612243661242369?s=20While having a knowledgeable head coach will help accelerate the growth of an up-and-coming squad, the Rockets needed someone to facilitate things on the floor. With Houston having plenty of cap space entering the offseason, the team signed ... [More]

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton agreed to a five-year maximum contract extension that could be worth up to $260 million. Haliburton began his career in Sacramento before landing with the Pacers in a trade for Domantas Sabonis. He's coming off his best year, averaging 20.7 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 1.6 steals while shooting 40% from deep. However, the 23-year-old only logged 56 games, which was a cause of frustration for fantasy managers. Nonetheless, Haliburton should be even more productive in the years ahead, so there's an excellent chance he'll finish the 2023-24 campaign as a top-25 fantasy asset.

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (ankle) has seemingly been shut down for the remainder of the season as he's missed the last five games and hasn't even been upgraded to questionable for most of these absences. The third-year guard will most likely finish as a top three most improved player of the year finalist as he averaged 20.7 points, 10.4 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game. The streaming options would most likely be Andrew Nembhard and T.J. McConnell if he plays.

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (ankle/elbow) has been ruled out ahead of Wednesday's game versus the Milwaukee Bucks. Haliburton will miss his second straight game with ankle and elbow injuries. With the season nearing its end, it's possible Haliburton sees more time on the sidelines than the court moving forward. Andrew Nembhard and T.J. McConnell should see increased minutes again on Wednesday.

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (ankle) has been ruled out for Monday's game against the Dallas Mavericks. Haliburton recently returned after missing six games due to a right ankle sprain. Now, the team is going to give Haliburton a rest day after he played through the ankle issue over the past two games. The Pacers are already shorthanded for this game, so Haliburton's absence will leave even more minutes available. Andrew Nembhard and T.J. McConnell are likely to play heavy minutes and be favorable streaming options for Monday.

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (ankle) is questionable to play Monday versus the Dallas Mavericks. Haliburton is dealing with an ankle injury, but has played through it the past two games. If the Pacers decided to sit Haliburton, T.J. McConnell would be the popular pick-up. Andrew Nembhard would also see a boost in fantasy value should Haliburton be ruled out.