Tyrese Haliburton (Indiana Pacers) and James Harden (Philadelphia 76ers)
The 22-year-old Haliburton (20.2 ppg, 4 rpg, 10.2 apg) is deserving of being the only first-time selection among East players on this ballot because his breakthrough third season has been a revelation for Indiana. Acquired from the Sacramento Kings at last year’s trade deadline, Haliburton has thrived as the conductor of the Pacers’ offense. The Iowa State product is second in the NBA in assists per game, averaging a career-high in scoring and shooting an excellent 39.9 percent on three-pointers despite garnering plenty of attention from opposing defenses. Remarkably, Indiana is 22-18 with Haliburton and just 2-10 when he’s been sidelined.
While Irving landed a starting spot on the official ballot, the Nets guard was left off this ballot entirely due to his disruptive presence and inexcusable behavior, which culminated in a lengthy team suspension. Instead, Harden (21.4 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 11.2 apg), Irving’s former teammate, claimed the final guard spot. Still a capable scorer at age 33, Harden has shifted into a distribution-minded role in Philadelphia. That adjustment has been crucial to Philadelphia’s recent success, as it has allowed Embiid to thrive in an offense that ranks fifth leaguewide, up from 11th last season.