For the first portion of the season, the Indiana Pacers were all Tyrese Haliburton. The All-Star point guard has led the way for Indiana as they’ve established themselves as a legitimate postseason squad.
However, it always felt like they were missing something. Haliburton was carrying a heavy load, and if they wanted to have long-term success, they would need to get him some help.
That’s exactly what they did. The Pacers shook up the NBA trade landscape, making a move for two-time All-NBA forward Pascal Siakam, shipping out Bruce Brown, Jordan Nwora, and three first-round picks.
When Siakam finally got to Gainbridge Fieldhouse, he took it all in and shared some initial thoughts on his new home with the Pacers.
"New home, man," Siakam said via Nate Atkins of the Indianapolis Star. "We've got to make sure we bless it with a lot of buckets."
He also noted some of the potential growing pains he and the Pacers could face as they get going, noting that it will take some time to learn and adapt.
"I'm still learning about the team and finding out when to be aggressive," Siakam said. "To be honest, I just read the game, like whatever the game gives me — that's the type of player I am anyway. Literally, we had wide-open shots, and I want those guys to take those shots a thousand times."
Unfortunately, the Siakam era in Indiana has quite gone according to plan thus far, as the Pacers have gone 0-3 since the star forward has been in town.
Again, though, it will likely take Siakam and his new teammates some time to get used to each other, meaning they’ll be learning on the fly as the year goes on.
But despite the slow start, Siakam is still confident in this group.
"I think we have an opportunity to be special," he said.
With Siakam and Haliburton at the helm, the Pacers have two All-NBA-caliber players leading the way, which will give them a chance in any playoff series they find themselves in.
They may not be winning games just yet, but as they continue to get used to playing with each other, the Pacers will improve. The future seems bright in Indiana.