5 guards the Minnesota Timberwolves should target in the 2020 NBA Draft

Tyrese Haliburton | 6-foot-5 PG | Age 19, Sophomore | Iowa State Cyclones

NBA Player Comparison: souped-up Dejounte Murray

Primary skills: On-ball creation, playmaking, passing vision and accuracy, off-ball defense and hands, basketball IQ, transition ball-handler, leadership

Weaknesses: Shooting form, explosiveness off the dribble

On paper, Tyrese Haliburton is as good as they come in the college game.

The Iowa State point guard is averaging 15.8 points, 6.9 assists, 6.1 rebounds, 2.4 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game, while shooting 49.5 percent from the floor, 40 percent from beyond the arc on 6.1 treys per night, and 82.9 percent from the charity stripe on 2.2 attempts per contest. He has an other-worldly Box Plus-Minus of 12.2 and a Net Rating of +23.1.

Even after moving from an off-ball role to the team’s starting point guard, Haliburton looks in complete control of himself and his team’s offense at all times when he has the ball in his hands.

Whether it’s in half-court offense or on the break following a long rebound or turnover, Haliburton picks defenses apart like no other in the college game. Simply put, he is the best passer in college basketball, thanks to his elite vision and ability to get the ball to his teammates in spots from which they like to operate on offense. Additionally, his 2.46-1 assist-to-turnover ratio is very good for a college point guard who constantly has the ball in his hands.

At 6-foot-5, the sophomore has terrific size to go along with his incredible basketball IQ on both ends of the floor. His height gives him an edge in breaking down opposing defenses. It allows him to make plays both out of the post, when defended by opposing guards, and on the baseline drive over and around other defenders.

His only true weaknesses on the offensive end are his awkward lock-and-load shot form and his ability to get past front-line defenders with a quick first-step. Tyrese can get by smaller defenders by angling his body to create leverage, or by using solid dribble moves to get defenders moving side-to-side and open up driving lanes for himself.

Unlike some of the other top guards in the class, the Oshkosh, WI native cannot rely on blowing by his matchup with an explosive first-step.

On the defensive end, Haliburton utilizes his vulturous 7-foot wingspan to create turnovers while playing up the line off the ball and make it tougher for opposing point guards to deliver passes into the post.

He is not the quickest defender while moving laterally defending ball-handlers, but his wingspan makes up for a majority of that athletic deficiency – at least at the college level. Whether he will translate to be a pest on the ball in the NBA is still to be seen, but someone with a similar physical composition and skillset is Spurs starting point guard Dejounte Murray.

Murray is not the most athletic point guard in the league, but uses his high basketball IQ, quick reflexes, great hands, outstanding court vision and passing to make up for it. He struggled shooting from deep in his lone season at Washington (28.8 percent), but has vastly improved his form and is shooting 35.5 percent for San Antonio this season.

While Halburton is shooting 40 percent from 3, he will have to tweak his mechanics if he wants to be a successful shooter in the NBA. If he is able to do that, there is no doubt in mind that he has a good shot at being not just the best point guard in this draft, but also an outside chance at being the best player from this class five or seven years down the line.