Do the Pacers have the assurance that Pascal Siakam, “free agent” at the end of the campaign, will return to Indiana? Nothing is ever certain in the NBA but if the franchise let go of Bruce Brown, Jordan Nwora, Kira Lewis Jr. and three “first round” Drafts to recover the Cameroonian, it is because it is very confident on the issue.
It must be said that according to The Athletic, the Pacers were Pascal Siakam's preferred destination.
First obviously because Tyrese Haliburton, the best passer in the league, plays there and the idea of playing alongside him, in Indiana's unbridled game, is necessarily attractive. Then because Pascal Siakam knows that the members of the organization chart of his new club, notably GM Chad Buchanan and coach Rick Carlisle, appreciate him very much. An element that matters in the eyes of the strong winger, who is looking for a max contract ($248 million over five years), while his value fluctuates depending on the leaders.
Finally, still according to The Athleticbecause Pascal Siakam sees himself very well evolving alongside Myles Turner in the Pacers racket. For years, the Cameroonian has been repeating in private that he would be particularly good alongside the pivot, whose qualities as an outside shooter could open up spaces for him in the racket.
A duo that sticks defensively?
While his duo with Domantas Sabonis didn't really work, will Myles Turner be more comfortable with Pascal Siakam at his side, the latter not being an outside shooter either?
Without getting too far ahead, we might think yes. Especially because the profiles of the Lithuanian and the Cameroonian are very different, Pascal Siakam being fast enough to defend on the outside, in addition to being very good at assisting. His defensive qualities should do good for the Pacers, and match those of Myles Turner.
“Adding more defensive guys is a key element for us, and we are moving in the right direction”explained the pivot, without being able to directly speak about Pascal Siakam while the exchange was not yet official. “Conceptually – when you talk about the things we potentially do in the future – when you have guys that fit the mold, guys that are going to be comfortable in our free-flowing style of attack, that can be a lot of fun. This is the most important thing about us. I feel like a lot of guys come here and thrive in this offense because it’s so open. When the best passer in the league is running the game, there aren't many restrictions. We’re just playing.”
| Pascal Siakam | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2016-17 | TOR | 55 | 16 | 50.2 | 14.3 | 68.8 | 1.2 | 2.2 | 3.4 | 0.3 | 2.0 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 4.2 |
| 2017-18 | TOR | 81 | 21 | 50.8 | 22.0 | 62.1 | 1.0 | 3.5 | 4.5 | 2.0 | 2.1 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 7.3 |
| 2018-19 | TOR | 80 | 32 | 54.9 | 36.9 | 78.5 | 1.6 | 5.3 | 6.9 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 0.9 | 1.9 | 0.7 | 16.9 |
| 2019-20 | TOR | 60 | 35 | 45.3 | 35.9 | 79.2 | 1.1 | 6.3 | 7.3 | 3.5 | 2.8 | 1.0 | 2.5 | 0.9 | 22.9 |
| 2020-21 | TOR | 56 | 36 | 45.5 | 29.7 | 82.7 | 1.7 | 5.5 | 7.2 | 4.5 | 3.1 | 1.1 | 2.3 | 0.7 | 21.4 |
| 2021-22 | TOR | 68 | 38 | 49.4 | 34.4 | 74.9 | 1.9 | 6.7 | 8.5 | 5.3 | 3.3 | 1.3 | 2.7 | 0.6 | 22.8 |
| 2022-23 | TOR | 71 | 37 | 48.0 | 32.4 | 77.4 | 1.9 | 6.0 | 7.8 | 5.9 | 3.2 | 0.9 | 2.4 | 0.5 | 24.2 |
| 2023-24 | TOR | 39 | 35 | 52.2 | 31.7 | 75.8 | 1.4 | 4.9 | 6.3 | 4.9 | 2.2 | 0.8 | 2.1 | 0.3 | 22.2 |
| Total | 510 | 31 | 49.1 | 32.7 | 77.2 | 1.5 | 5.1 | 6.5 | 3.6 | 2.8 | 0.9 | 1.9 | 0.6 | 17.4 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
