Pacers guard Trevelin Queen on Tyrese Haliburton: 'He's just a great leader.'
Trevelin Queen joined the Indiana Pacers late this season. He was with the Philadelphia 76ers early in training camp, but was waived after suffering a head injury. The blue and gold scooped him up soon after, but he was unavailable for much of the preseason. His time with the team has been limited compared to his teammates.
Despite all of that, Pacers star guard Tyrese Haliburton has left a strong impression on Queen during the season. The two overlapped during training camp and for a number of days during a long Pacers road trip in November, and Queen got to see what makes Haliburton a special player up close.
"He's just a great leader. He just leads by example, he's very approachable," Queen told AllPacers earlier this week. The 25-year old guard was playing with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants in the G League as a part of his two-way contract at the time.
That's where Queen has spent most of his 2022-23 campaign. Prior to discussing Haliburton, he had 26 points, six rebounds, and six assists against the Windy City Bulls. On the season, the Maryland native is averaging 23.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game with Fort Wayne.
The two-way contract player has been impressed by Haliburton during their interactions throughout the season. Queen has spent time with the Pacers and shared a locker room with the emerging star, so he's developed a sense for the qualities that make Haliburton exceptional.
"Whether it's... the beginning of the game, whether we're down 10, he's always calm, cool, collected. He's a great passer, he's a great leader. He just brings so much to the game," Queen said. The New Mexico State University product has played in two games for the Pacers this season and has averaged 1.5 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game.
Indiana went 1-1 in the two games that Queen played in. Haliburton was out both nights, which is part of why the two-way contract guard was needed by the Pacers in the first place, but he has still seen the young point guard play often this season. "Everybody doubted him, I don't know why. He's a great player, phenomenal IQ. It's just crazy how he does everything he does," Queen said of Haliburton.
"He's an All-Star in my eyes," he added. Haliburton is averaging over 20 points and over 10 assists per game this season and could be headed to Salt Lake City as a part of NBA All-Star weekend in February.
Haliburton is an emerging star, and he has impressed many this season. Trevelin Queen is among that group, and that's why the Pacers guard had so much praise for his teammate last week. Both players will look to continue their solid campaigns as the calendar flips into 2023.
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