Pacers took a step toward contention with Pascal Siakam trade but still have a way to go
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The Indiana Pacers traded for Pascal Siakam Wednesday, sending three first-round picks, Bruce Brown and Jordan Nwora to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for the two-time all-star, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported.
The move is a big swing for the Pacers, who entered the day in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, rising back into relevance this season after missing the playoffs the previous three years. In addition to reaching the NBA In-Season Tournament final in December, they have the NBA’s best offensive rating, paced by Tyrese Haliburton’s MVP-caliber play at point guard. Averaging 22 points on 52 percent shooting, Siakam gives them another threat on that end of the floor. He can make positive contributions on defense too.
Related: Projected starters for the Pacers after big trade pairs Pascal Siakam with Tyrese Haliburton
This was no doubt a step forward for the Pacers, especially considering Siakam is reportedly excited about the situation and eager to work out a new contract. Indianapolis isn’t exactly a top free-agent destination, so if the Pacers can extend him beyond this season, they’re set up for a bright future. It’s a good thing too, because they won’t be winning anything this year.
The Pacers still have a way to go before they crack the top of the East, let alone an NBA championship. At BetMGM, Indiana’s odds to win the East remain sixth-best at +2000. And though the team’s title odds jumped from +6600 to +5000 after the trade, those odds remain just 14th-best in the NBA. In other words, oddsmakers still view 13 other teams as better positioned than Indiana to make a run this season.
Does Pascal Siakam make the Pacers a true title contender? pic.twitter.com/gS61OZovWr
— Action Network (@ActionNetworkHQ) January 17, 2024
There’s a reason for that. Indiana is the only top-eight team from either conference to rank in the bottom-third of the NBA in defensive rating. It’s a very similar sort of dynamic as last year’s Sacramento Kings, who were a nice story with a league-leading offense in the regular season, and put up a fight in the playoffs but lost in the first round. They just weren’t ready yet, and neither are the Pacers. And that’s OK. Teams don’t just go from out the playoffs to title contenders in one year.
That doesn’t mean the trade wasn’t worth making. Siakam brings the Pacers a step closer to the team they need to be in order to compete with the likes of the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks. They’re probably just another move away from getting there.
Related: Trade grades for the Pacers and Raptors after the Pascal Siakam deal
Joel Embiid’s regular season doesn’t matter
Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
Watching what Joel Embiid did against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets Wednesday night was like deja vu.
He scored 41 points on 13-of-22 shooting, to go with seven rebounds and 10 assists to lead his Philadelphia 76ers past the Nuggets, who got 25 points and 19 rebounds from Jokic. As Embiid was winning the battle between the league’s best centers, I thought about how he did the same thing almost exactly a year ago to the day. And how in the end, it didn’t matter.
On Jan. 28, 2023, Embiid went for 47 points and 18 rebounds to lead the Sixers past Jokic and the Nuggets. It was a turning point in the MVP race, when people seemed to collectively agree Embiid had finally surpassed Jokic. He went on to win the award for the first time in his career, keeping Jokic from a three-peat, just to underwhelm in the playoffs and get bounced in the second round as Jokic carried his team to an NBA title.
So, as I watched Embiid exert his regular season dominance again, I felt a little numb to it all. It doesn’t matter. His league-leading 35 points per game don’t matter. His potential second straight MVP doesn’t matter. None of it matters if he can’t do it in the playoffs.
To Embiid’s credit, he seems to understand that. As FTW’s Mike Sykes wrote, the only thing that can stop Embiid from winning another MVP is the NBA’s new rule on award eligibility. But Embiid said he won’t go out of his way to chase another MVP. Aside from now having one, he likely understands how much more important it is to be in top shape and peak performance for the postseason, something he hasn’t been in the past.
However, it’s one thing to know it. It’s another thing to do something about it. Embiid is easily one of the best players of this generation, but unless he starts saving some of these incredible performances for the playoffs, he won’t be remembered as fondly as Jokic no matter how many times he out-duels him in the regular season. Embiid will be remembered more like his old teammate, James Harden.
One to Watch
(All odds via BetMGM)
Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Milwaukee Bucks (-175) at Cleveland Cavaliers (+3.5; +145), 7:40 p.m. ET
Don’t be deceived by Cleveland’s five-game winning streak. Two of those wins came over the Wizards, one was over the San Antonio Spurs and the other two came over teams also under .500. Wins are wins, but the Bucks have been much more impressive over their last three, beating the Celtics, Warriors and Kings. Now, they’re coming into town off two days of rest and I fully expect them to pounce on the short-handed Cavs for another win and a 3.5-point cover.
Shootaround
— Everything we know about the Clippers’ new $2 billion arena, including “The Wall”
That’s it from me y’all. Check back Friday for more Layup Lines.