The Indiana Pacers are 15-43 and own the second-worst record in the NBA. They are closer to securing the No. 1 overall draft pick than making a postseason appearance, and now may be as good a time as any for them to reel it back and let the young guys show out.
However, Pascal Siakam, who has far and away been Indiana's best player this season (he does have an All-Star nod to show for it), may have something to say about that (h/t Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star).
"I feel like I'm better when I'm playing more games," Siakam said. "I feel like there's a little thing of rhythm. When you're sitting out and you have to get back into rhythm, for me, I'm a rhythm player, so it's 50-50. Obviously it felt good to have a break."
"Anyone that knows me knows that I want to play," Siakam said. "I don't want to sit around."
The Pacers may not want Pascal Siakam to keep playing this season
Siakam has been incredible this season, and it's fair to wonder how much worse the Pacers would be without him.
Through 52 games, the Cameroon native has averaged 23.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.1 steals while shooting 48.3% from the field and 37.3% from deep. He is having one of the best seasons of his career, and he's reminding the basketball world just what he brings to the table.
However, he is also about to turn 32 years old in April, and he is averaging a team-high 33.7 minutes per game. Putting too much on him at this point in the season (especially in a lost one) could be a massive risk. If he sustains a major injury, that could drastically change Indiana's outlook for next season for the worse.
Plus, let's just call it like it is: the Pacers are better off losing as many games as they can the rest of the way. They have a real chance to secure a high draft pick in one of the best classes in recent years, and they may be able to draft a game-changer to pair alongside Tyrese Haliburton. Having Siakam play too much might ruin their "tank."
On the flip side, though, as Siakam says himself, he doesn't want to ride the bench, and he is at his best when he is in a rhythm. (And the NBA clearly won't look the other way if Indiana sits him a bit too often). And in a season as disappointing as this one has been for the Pacers, one of the biggest silver linings has been how well Siakam has played. In that sense, maybe he should just keep doing his thing.
Ultimately, the Pacers are going to lose many more games the rest of the way, regardless of whether they have their All-Star on the court or not. But they still have a decision to make, and it could be a big one.