Instead of tanking, the Pacers have reconstructed, adding Pascal Siakam for Tyrese Haliburton & Co.
Instead of tanking, the Pacers have reconstructed, adding Pascal Siakam with Tyrese Haliburton & Co. At this time, the Pacers should not be considered one of the Eastern Conference favorites. I almost replied. Acquiring Siakam brings the task nearly to a close.
With a record of 23-17 overall and sixth within the Eastern Conference, the Pacers’ rebuild had begun ahead of schedule due to Haliburton’s meteoric rise from legitimate NBA star to future MVP candidate. However, the addition of Siakam nearly finishes the job.
Currently, the Pacers are one excellent piece away from contending in the Eastern Conference; beyond that, only time will tell.
Perhaps that item is already on the roster. At the age of 21, Benedict Mathurin has accumulated only 16 career points.
Although Myles Turner, age 27, appears to have attained a satisfactory level of success, it is possible that he still has an additional floor to ascend.
In Tuesday’s’sdition of The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Sam Amick reported that Toronto and Indiana were “actively discussing a trade in which Indiana would receive a package comprising three first-round picks and two-time All-Star Pascal Siakam.”
The Pacers have been unsuccessful in acquiring franchise-quality players through free agency.
Possibly their finest was David West in 2011. It is logical to consider trading for the most valuable player currently available in the market.
Siakam is most likely the individual in question. This season, he averages 22.2 points per game and has been selected for the All-Defensive team for two consecutive seasons. He is a two-time All-NBA selection.
Dennis Schroder or Fred VanVleet aside, Siakam has not played with an offensive guard of Haliburton’s caliber for an extended period.
Instead of scuffling and clawing for each basket, he will be prepared to do so with the utmost ease.
The pair’s pick-and-roll combination has the potential to be lethal. Siakam has performed admirably in those roles as the screener.
He is a roller who is shooting 64.7% from the field this season, and according to NBA statistics, his efficiency ranks in the 81st percentile among all players.
The attack transition between both of them will be extremely thrilling. Siakam ranks in the 77th percentile for leaking on easy buckets and converting well on those.
He is also an effective playmaker in such circumstances. Haliburton is arguably the best player in the league at initiating those attacks, and Siakam’s presence will render the opposition unstoppable.
Additionally, Siakam will provide the Pacers with a unique perspective in the postseason. Following the completion of the trade, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN announced the development less than twenty-four hours later.
They are a team built near Haliburton, but Siakam is well suited to providing his offense when proceedings slow down or Haliburton needs a break.
He is an outstanding midrange threat, converting 47.4% of his attempts, and he can intimidate defenders to reach his targets.
Concerns have been raised regarding Siakam’s potential to disrupt certain teams due to his tendency to engage in pre-shot preparation dances with the ball. Although he currently prefers to hold the soccer ball, that was not always the case.
In field goal attempts during the 2019 championship run of the Toronto Raptors, Siakam ranked third. He assisted on a significant number of baskets and was an exceptionally effective scorer in that capacity.
Self-creation figures increased steadily as he developed into the number one option for an offense-deficient Raptors squad.
However, since the emergence of Scottie Barnes as an effective passer, or arguably the team’s most valuable asset this season, Siakam has effectively resumed relying on teammates for the majority of his buckets.
Siakam is set to become a free agent after this season; however, Indiana now holds his Bird Rights and is in a strong position to re-sign him; the organization could not have traded three first-round picks for him without some assurance that he would remain with the organization.
The Pacers are the only team capable of extending him for an additional year at this time. His maximum contract would be for five years and $248 million, although the consensus in the league is that he would accept a contract just below that amount.