Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle credited the midseason trade for Pascal Siakam as the key factor that transformed the team’s playing style and playoff success.
The Indiana Pacers are heading back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2000, and head coach Rick Carlisle says the midseason addition of Pascal Siakam changed everything.
Pascal Siakam
Pascal Siakam
Pascal Siakam
MIN: 32.82
PTS: 20.37 (56.38%)
REB: 6.72
As: 3.35
ST: 0.93
BL: 0.52
TO: 1.35
GM: 94
In an interview with The Athletic, Carlisle pointed to the January trade with the Toronto Raptors as the moment Indiana became a serious contender.
“Well, if you have the right player to build around, it can happen much faster than you think,” Carlisle said. “Getting Tyrese made it very clear what our identity as a team needed to be. We needed to be a fast-paced team with shooting… The Siakam trade took things to another level.”
The Pacers sent multiple first-round picks to the Raptors in the deal. Siakam quickly fit into Carlisle’s system and brought a veteran presence to a young roster.
During the regular season, the 31-year-old forward averaged 20.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 3.4 assists while shooting nearly 52% from the field.
He’s taken his game up a notch in the playoffs, averaging 21.1 points on 53.7% shooting, including a red-hot 46.3% from three.
Now, Indiana faces the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals. The top-seeded Thunder swept the regular season series against the Pacers, including a dominant 132–111 win in their last meeting.
Tip-off for Game 1 is set for Thursday night at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City.
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