NBA
Why Gilbert Arenas Is Wrong About The Pacers And Pascal Siakam’s Evolution
Vivek Jacob is a freelance sports writer with over seven years experience. During this time, he has written for outlets including The Athletic, Yahoo Sports, Sportsnet, CBC, and Complex. Primarily covering the NBA, Vivek also covers tennis, soccer, and cricket.
Get to know Vivek Jacob betterPublished20 hours ago on May 21, 2025
Former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas made an appearance on ESPN’s First Take and did not waste time giving a bad take regarding Pascal Siakam and the Indiana Pacers.
The show was debating an interesting topic: Who’s the most important No. 2 option in the conference finals?
When it was Arenas’ opportunity to speak, he felt the fact that Siakam was in the discussion was a reflection of a failed step in his career.
“He was supposed to be a No. 1 but Pascal,” Arenas said. “I thought when they traded for him, he was the go-to guy. So, the fact that you are even in this category lets us know you haven’t stepped up to the plate. I mean, 2019 you showed very great promise in your ability and you’ve never taken that leap in this basketball career of yours…
“The fact that the playmaker on the team is the No. 1 option lets me know you have no chance of winning a championship… Indiana’s really not ready for it.”
Gilbert Arenas says Pascal Siakam never took that ‘leap’ in his basketball career
(🎥 @FirstTake )
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) May 20, 2025
What Arenas Is Getting Wrong About Siakam
For starters, Siakam’s NBA journey is nothing short of remarkable. This is someone who first started playing organized basketball at the age of 17. He worked his way into becoming a late first-round pick. After getting drafted by the Toronto Raptors, he spent time developing in the G League and won the 2017 championship while securing G League Finals MVP.
He was Toronto’s second-leading scorer on the 2019 title team and won the Most Improved Player award that season. He has made three All-Star teams and two All-NBA Teams. Indiana has made consecutive Eastern Conference Finals appearances since acquiring him.
Yes, it’s true, the Raptors tried to see if he could be a No. 1 option after Kawhi Leonard’s departure and it didn’t quite pan out. There are only a handful of players who belong in that category. It’s stating the obvious the Pacers would be better if Siakam belonged in that category.
You could say that about anyone. To look at Siakam’s journey as a basketball player and conclude he’s somehow fallen short of expectations is obtuse.
What Arenas Is Getting Wrong About the Pacers
When Indiana acquired him, it wasn’t to acquire a No. 1 option. It was to have someone stabilize the half-court offense when needed and be a strong, switchable defender. And he also happens to thrive in the Pacers’ elite transition game.
Among players averaging at least two post-ups per game this postseason, Siakam is the second-most efficient scorer (1.00 points per possession) behind Karl-Anthony Towns (1.06). He’s been more efficient than the likes of Nikola Jokic (0.82), Alperen Sengun (0.82), Julius Randle (0.88) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (0.89).
If that sample is too small for you, Siakam averaged 1.08 points per post-up possession during the regular season. Among players with at least 140 post-ups, only Randle (1.09), Jokic (1.09), DeMar DeRozan (1.11) and Kristaps Porzingis (1.19) were better.
The Pacers’ offense isn’t about throwing the ball to a player repeatedly to stand around and watch. The ball is in Tyrese Haliburton’s hands because he is the best decision-maker on that end of the floor.
Arenas is mad about the ball being in the playmaker’s hands late in games. Is he really saying he doesn’t want the ball in the hands of the player who has shot 10-of-11 when trying to take the lead or tie the game in the final two minutes this season?
Yes, Indiana may not have that top-tier elite superstar but it’s in the Eastern Conference Finals because of incredible depth. Myles Turner, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith and Bennedict Mathurin are among those who can punish teams on a night-to-night basis.
Siakam doesn’t have an oversized ego to get in the way of any of this. He has fit into a Pacers squad focused on team basketball and his efficiency has thrived.
The Pacers are 8-2 in the postseason, including eliminating a 64-win team in five games. They’ve done plenty to earn real respect and doubting the team and its stars only seems to fuel this group.
Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Pacers and New York Knicks is Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. EST.
