Pascal Siakam loves playing the Oklahoma City Thunder. Now, that is not backed up by data or by statistics, nor does it have any basis in what Siakam has said. However, it does have to do with the person that Siakam is.
Pascal has been known to hold grudges not against people but against organizations. When the Toronto Raptors fired the GM he had been known to love as a father in Masai Ujiri, who currently runs the Dallas Mavericks, Siakam quickly asked out. Now, many can argue that this was about contract values or about fits, but the point remains.
Knowing Pascal, he's still holding a grudge over the 2024-25 NBA Finals, in which the Thunder took the chance from Siakam and the Indiana Pacers to win a championship. This would have made him a two-time title winner and likely would have gotten him an extension in this offseason. A high tide lifts all ships, and all that after all.
Now, on Tuesday night, the Pacers will play against the Thunder once again. With Indiana's dreadful gap year in the rearview mirror, the question now becomes how much Pascal can do against the team that took that accolade from him.
Facing down the rivals
Siakam will largely be dealing with Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams in the regular season. However, the jury is still out on whether the Thunder will be playing their starters much in a glorified exhibition game. So far this preseason, the standout players for Oklahoma have been two rookies dominating inside and out.
If trends are to be believed, the person dealing with Thunder big man Aday Mara will be Ivica Zubac. That should leave Siakam able to attack downhill without taking the brunt of the physical battle between bigs.
Transition buckets could pile up very quickly as both teams play fast and loose with the ball, constantly trying to find easy shots at the rim or in transition. This plays to Siakam's strengths, and it wouldn't be shocking to see him pile up stats before he inevitably sits in the second half.
The Pacers are aiming to set themselves up for their opener against the New Orleans Pelicans with a team that is in Rhythm and ready to move. So far, they've faced the Minnesota Timberwolves and Atlanta Hawks, two teams that are expected to be in the playoff race in their respective conferences.
This is an even higher test, beyond playoff teams and into the world of other contenders. Siakam will need to play his best, even if this game ultimately means little other than bragging rights.
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