For the first half of the season, the Indiana Pacers were entirely Tyrese Haliburton. The All-Star point guard has guided Indiana’s push to become a real postseason contender.
However, it always felt as if they were missing something. Haliburton was carrying a big load, and if they wanted to achieve long-term success, they needed to get him some assistance.
This is exactly what they did. The Pacers shook up the NBA trade landscape by acquiring two-time All-NBA forward Pascal Siakam while trading Bruce Brown, Jordan Nwora, and three first-round picks.
When Siakam arrived to Gainbridge Fieldhouse, he took in his surroundings and shared his first impressions of his new home with the Pacers.
“New home, man,” Siakam told Nate Atkins of the Indianapolis Star. “We’ve got to make sure we bless it with a lot of buckets.”
He also mentioned some of the potential growing pains he and the Pacers may encounter when they get started, adding that it will take some time to learn and adjust.
“I’m still learning about the team and finding out when to be aggressive,” he remarked. “To be honest, I just read the game and do whatever it gives me—that’s the type of player I am anyhow. We had wide-open shoots, and I want those people to take them a thousand times.
Unfortunately, the Siakam era in Indiana hasn’t gone quite as planned, with the Pacers going 0-3 since the star forward arrived.
Again, Siakam and his new teammates will most likely need some time to adjust to one other, which means they’ll be learning on the fly as the season progresses.
Despite the sluggish start, Siakam remains faith in the group.
“I think we have an opportunity to be special,” he told reporters.
With Siakam and Haliburton at the forefront, the Pacers have two All-NBA players guiding the way, giving them a shot in any playoff series they play in.
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