Washington Wizards: 4 realistic targets for the 2020 NBA Draft

Tyrese Haliburton, Iowa State, Point Guard

Now, before we go too far, as of writing this, Haliburton is projected in most mocks to go in the top five or six picks. However, with such a lack of consensus of who may go where, Haliburton may slip, which could do wonders for the Wiz.

Haliburton is long for a point guard. He stands at 6’5 and expertly uses his size to his advantage.

He has exceptional court vision and can make almost any pass you can ask for on the court. He reads the floor quickly and takes what the defense gives him on every possession, rarely forcing the issue.

In his sophomore year at Iowa State, Halliburton also came on strong as a more primary scorer and showed how efficient he can be getting to the basket. His jump shot, although a bit funny looking, falls at a good clip as he shot 36 percent from three last season.

Haliburton has also shown that he can be a real asset as a combo guard and can play well off the ball. He is solid in the catch and shoot, and defenses know that wherever he is on the court, he needs to be accounted for.

The only real knocks on Haliburton are his slight frame. At just 175 lbs,  he will need to bulk up in order to take the NBA beating, especially as someone who likes to make plays in the open court.

The only other thing about Haliburton that may cause some concern is the funky jump shot I mentioned. He is tall enough where he will be able to get shots over smaller guards, but he has a very slow setup that could be a cause for concern.

All in all, Haliburton is a very similar player to another former high lottery pick, Lonzo Ball. Both players thrive with the ball in their hands and love to make plays while on the run in the open floor. I feel that Haliburton is a bit of a better shooter than Ball, who was a bit more physical than Haliburton is.

Although Haliburton is more of a hybrid point guard, the Wizards need to take the best player available and worry about the fit later. A quality player like Tyrese Haliburton can not be passed up if he is there at nine.