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PAY ATTENTION to the Pacers – Michael Wilbon on the Pascal Siakam trade | NBA Countdown



PAY ATTENTION to the Pacers – Michael Wilbon on the Pascal Siakam trade | NBA Countdown

This is where it gets interesting they’re seven and four this season against the Bucks the Celtics the 76ers Bob what is it about these matchups with the Pacers that expose weaknesses for the Milwaukee Bucks defense Malika I mean the the the Bucks are second in league in offense the Pacers are the

First in offense Pacers are 26th in defense the Bucks are 19th this is the problem with the Bucks you you never want to go into a game SC we got to outscore the opponent and that’s what you got a little bit when you when you trade holiday for Lillard that was the

Deal that was the understanding I thought the Bucks defense would be better than 19th when they go up against a high octane offense as we’ve seen with the Pacers they’ve struggled the Bucks are not a contender when you’re 19th in defense go back and look at the I got

The historian right you don’t win championships with 19th rank defense in the NBA so so the Bucks have a defensive problem that they have to fix they definitely have to fix this there’s no doubt about that but I’m going to say this too we’ve got to point to them

Offensively in this regard Damen Lillard is averaging 25 a game but he’s only only shooting 43% from the field he’s only shooting 35% from three-point range and when you look at it from that perspective and you’re the number two option on a squad that has Janis Sant

Too averaging 31 and 11 and obviously he’s going to be a high percentage shooter because he’s usually dunking on somebody okay the reality is is that if you miss those amount of shots that’s not going to facilitate better defense and so we got to pay attention to that

Um and what I’m saying is Damen Lillard the more prolific he is offensively the more efficient he is offensively think in a roundabout way that will help them a little bit more let a little bit more defensive go back to Toronto for not Toronto Toronto we’re going to set aside

For probably about three years but let’s go back to maybe not three let’s go back to the Pacers for a second I don’t think any of us is going to sit here and say they’re a threat to the very top which means Boston in a series considering they’ve owned Milwaukee already this

Year would Milwaukee be favored in such a series sure but is but is the are the Pacers a threat against Milwaukee for the reasons that we’re talking about defensively yes I’m not putting in Inc anything to do with the Sixers as well as Joel embiid is playing not Inc not

Yet and then we start talking about the Knicks and the Cavaliers who could be in a rematch for all we know of last year’s first round series the Pacers at least have inserted themselves and then look Rick Carlile is a coach with some Savvy and he understands what he’s doing oh

Wait he’s wearing a championship ring from a few years ago Rick Carlow knows how to deploy them they have to get better Lord knows they cannot be this bad defensively and be a threat to anybody they’re going to get a little better defensively I like this move by

The Pacers yes more for next year and Beyond but for right now it it it pushes the others a little bit to at least pay attention to Indiana well and to your point about free agents not necessarily looking at Indiana this is when you’re talking about trades when you’re talking about

Building this team Bob this is how Indiana is going to do it yeah look my dad grew up in Indi I I like Indiana okay so so I say this softly players aren’t raising their hand and saying I get me to Indiana they’re not calling their agent saying give me to IND when

They made this trade and you know this W and everybody knows this Indiana was committing to a Max contract you don’t give up three first round picks and say well Pascal in the summer we’ll try to get you a 20 million he’s getting a Max contract from Indiana some would say

That’s an overpay doesn’t matter they did what they had to do they got a player they got a wing at a high position and you’re right about Rick carow I mean you don’t want to go up against Rick carow playoff series you do not want to do that he’s proven that he

Can out coach some of the best coaches in the league and he’s a tough matchup and he’s going to he’s going to be a tough out and this they just got a lot better so you’re right I mean it’s it’s not something to be trifled with this

Indiana team but you are going to see players go to smaller markets if they want Max contracts because the big markets cannot just run their their luxury tax through the roof so if you want a max deal it’s in Indiana it’s going to be in Charlotte uh it’s going

To be in Cleveland that’s how the league is going to be careful Mr Big Market over there New York Miami La he didn’t want to hear that well first of all try Miami is not the largest market in the world but it is special the bottom line

Is this I am in first of all that’s what the that’s what the league wants they want these smaller Market teams get getting some of this Marquee Talent so applaud that outside of that I’m done thinking about the big markets man because obviously it doesn’t get much

Bigger than New York and where the hell has that gotten us so let’s just move on

The NBA Countdown panel of Malika Andrews, Bob Myers, Stephen A. Smith and Michael Wilbon react to the Pascal Siakam trade and discuss if it makes the Indiana Pacers a real threat to the Milwaukee Bucks.

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47 Comments

  1. Yeah I’m not making a judgement till I see how they play together after at least ten games, they could be trash or absolute unquestionable world beaters after this trade. Pacers were already rocking teams and didn’t give up key players to snag Siakim so it’s pure addition not addition by subtraction.

  2. They keep talking about defense not understanding that all the “defense” they had last year got them out the first round and Jimmy was touching jrue 😂😂

  3. I think i will pay more attention to the 76ers and knicks then the pacers wilbon who are more then capable of defeating the celtics.

  4. Bucks are contenders. But you can't say they don't have a problem. Theyve humiliated some contenders and are dangerous when they click. Brook Lopez has been the one man defense.

  5. Why is this asking are they a threat to the Bucks 😂😂😂😂 Last time I checked the Celtics have been regarded as the favorites in the East; quit overvaluing the Bucks regular season…. They are the Eagles of the NBA 💯💯💯💯

  6. Bucks been known to get bounced early by teams exactly like the pacers i honestly wouldn't be surprised if they lost to the pacers in the 2nd rnd

  7. “Pacers are 26th on defense”. They were 30th a few weeks ago. They’re gettin better. Don’t rule out the Pacers. And they know how to beat the Bucks. 4-1 this season.

  8. That's why the NBA sucks players don't want to go to " small market" teams. Everyone has a chance in the NFL that isn't the case for the NBA..learn something

  9. Wilbon- legendary journalist. Woj- best industry insider in sports. SAS- nothing needs to be said about him. Malika- a girl. Bob- white.

  10. They already a problem to the Bucks even before Pascal. Pacers play too fast against the older Bucks especially on the wings. Bucks now needs to plug in a defensive wing for the playoffs

  11. whats a real shame is indiana is the basketball capital of the world, its what we do… but somehow we have a pro team with bad name and color scheme, and noone wants play here … and have had very minimal success! id say getting siakam is a huge deal for indiana..

  12. Here's the thing about DRAFT PICKS. If a team is good and MAKING THE PLAYOFFS, draft picks are useless. Look at all the variations of lebron teams. Draft picks are not important.

    Haliburton is a GREAT PLAYER, he's already a SUPERSTAR OFFENSIVE PLAYER/ POINT GUARD. Haliburton makes his teammates better. He elevates all of teammates. Look up richan Holmes, Haliburton elevated a 3rd string back up center into a good starter on the crap kings. Haliburton gets traded, Holmes becomes a 3rd string back up center again.
    Look a toppin on the Pacers. Haliburton makes his teammates better.

  13. Honestly I’d never wanna play in Miami. Way too booshee, loud, materialistic, hot, and humid for my liking. Always blows me away how much SAS talks it up haha. I guess it fits him well though

  14. I disagree, I feel with a strong powerful center who can defend, somebody heavy not Siakam, somebody really strong who can dunk or something, and then, this Indiana Team is BEAST MODE

  15. I think the Pacers are now the 3rd best team in the East behind Milwaukee and Boston and ahead of Philly. Siakam will definitely help the Pacers improve. BTW, it is just the nature of the NBA that superstars want to play in big markets like LA, NY, Chicago, Bay Area, and etc. It has always been that way.

  16. those def. stats aren´t worth much …the only relevant question is "are they able to adapt ,defend,score in a 7 game series .Pacers played the celtics and the bucks a few times in a short span over the last month. They were impressive,i think they will upset 2 teams in the playoffs.

  17. Pascal is trash stop the cap pacers arent going nowhere by the 2nd round lets drop the hype on them especially Pascal

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