The Indiana Pacers are 6-24 and are tied with the Washington Wizards for the worst record in the NBA. Fresh off an NBA Finals appearance, to say this season has been a disappointment (even under the circumstances of Tyrese Haliburton's absence) would be an understatement. Fans aren't happy, and based on his latest comments, star Pascal Siakam isn't either (h/t Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star).
"We just didn't play with any pace, any determination," Siakam said after posting 15 points and nine rebounds in Tuesday's loss. "It looked out there like we were just jacking shots sometimes. We played with no force. We just didn't have it. It's hard to evaluate our offense because it just looked like we didn't try hard enough. ... It doesn't look like we have any pace or any pep to anything that we're doing. We just look slow. There's no energy. It's not fun to be around."
"I really care about it, and I hate, I hate, I hate losing, so it's not fun," Siakam said. "It's hard. I don't think I've been the happiest. Maybe I have to fix it. I don't look good out there most of the time, just because I can't stand it. It drives me crazy. I'm trying to find solutions. I'm trying to get better. I'm trying to take it out, but it dictates my attitude and the way I am."
The Pacers are playing incredibly poorly this season
Indiana may be struggling as a team, but the same cannot be said for Siakam, who is playing some of his best basketball this season.
Without Haliburton or Myles Turner, who joined the Milwaukee Bucks in free agency, a lot of pressure immediately went onto Siakam to carry the load. And so far, he's done exactly that.
Through 29 games this season, the Cameroon native has averaged 23.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.2 steals while shooting 47.5% from the field and 37% from deep. Additionally, he leads the Pacers in points per game, rebounds per game, steals per game, minutes per game, and field goal attempts per game.
The Pacers haven't had a lot of success this season, but that's not at all Siakam's fault. It's actually the exact opposite: they are struggling despite his All-Star level campaign.
Siakam's frustrations are completely valid, and it's clear that many fans feel the same way. This doesn't look like the same Pacers team that made it to the conference finals in each of the past two seasons (though that's mostly because they can't be without Haliburton or Turner). But the problem is that it's not even close. They look like one of the worst teams in the league, and that's probably just how it's going to be for the rest of the season.
According to Basketball-Reference.com, the Pacers' 108.3 offensive rating and 109.2 points per game are both the worst in the NBA. Additionally, their 116.7 defensive rating ranks 20th. They are struggling greatly in every area of the game, and they may not be able to get things back on track this season.
Indiana still has a bright future and should be able to re-enter the title picture once it gets its star guard back. Until then, though, there will likely be some dark days ahead for the team.