Pacers Star Pascal Siakam Claps Back at Idea He's Now Top Option

Sep 29, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA: Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) poses for a photo during media day. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Three-time All-Star Indiana Pacers power forward Pascal Siakam has assumed the mantle of the team's best player heading into the 2025-26 season.

Siakam earned that title the hard way. Two-time All-NBA point guard Tyrese Haliburton, already playing through a calf injury, tore his Achilles tendon during the first quarter of Game 7 of the NBA Finals, and Indiana eventually fell to the Oklahoma City Thunder without Haliburton's stellar offense.

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But the 6-foot-8 New Mexico State product rejects the notion that he's the team's top offensive option — even if he is now their best player, and likely gunning for the most touches and a potential fourth All-Star berth and third All-NBA honor if he stays healthy.

The 31-year-old pro spoke about how he looks at his new role in Indiana this season during a media day press conference on Monday, per Tyler Smith of IndySportsLegends.com.

Pascal Siakam on being the number one option- “That’s not the way I look at it. We have to do it collectively. Have to have a group and do it together. Make sure I lead by example and the standard we have set.”

— Tyler Smith (@TylerSmith_ISL) September 29, 2025

“That’s not the way I look at it. We have to do it collectively. Have to have a group and do it together," Siakam said. "Make sure I lead by example and the standard we have set.”

Across 78 contests for the 50-32 Pacers last season, Siakam averaged 20.2 points while slashing .519/.389/.734 (that 38.9 percent 3-point rate represents a career high), plus 6.9 boards, 3.4 dimes, 0.9 swipes and 0.5 rejections per.

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He's not the scoring or ball-handling fulcrum that Haliburton has been for Indiana and doesn't generally initiate sets, generating a lot of his offense through off-ball actions or putbacks.

But Siakam won't be relied upon to set up Indiana's offense.

That task will fall to newly minted starting point guard Andrew Nembhard (formerly Indiana's starting shooting guard), plus his chief backup T.J. McConnell.

Replacing Haliburton's Playmaking By Committee

Nembhard's starting two-guard replacement, Bennedict Mathurin, and young backcourt reserves Ben Sheppard and Johnny Furphy can also handle a bit too. Together, can they do enough to make up for Haliburton's 9.2 assists a game?

That is less clear, but Siakam obviously has enough confidence in his colleagues generally.

Without Haliburton or former 3-and-D starting center Myles Turner (who left to link up with the Milwaukee Bucks as a free agent), Indiana won't be anyone's pick to make the Eastern Conference Finals for the third straight season. Still, the club is sneakily talented, and its front office drafts well. It's possible that the Pacers could at the very least emerge as a frisky out, and that someone like Nembhard or Aaron Nesmith could take another major leap.

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