INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Pacers are adjusting to another stretch without Tyrese Haliburton, creating an urgent need for creative solutions to a complicated basketball problem.
One potential solution is Pascal Siakam.
Specifically, giving Pascal Siakam the ball.
The veteran forward scored 26 points and grabbed 11 rebounds against Philadelphia on Wednesday, two days after producing 20 points and 13 rebounds against Milwaukee.
Indiana lost both games, suggesting that simply recognizing who can score is not quite enough to solve the entire offense.
Still, it's a promising place to begin.
Haliburton, who missed the 2025–26 season recovering from a torn Achilles, played Indiana's first four games before suffering a mild left hamstring strain.
The Pacers expect him to miss at least two weeks, once again leaving the offense without its primary organizer.
Siakam has averaged more than 22 points through six games, providing Indiana with a dependable source of production even as the team struggles for consistency.
His most recent game against Miami was difficult — 13 points on 5-for-17 shooting in a 145–125 loss — illustrating why the Pacers need contributions from more than one player.
But the basic concept remains sound.
Find the players who can create good offense. Put them in positions to succeed. Avoid turning every possession into an experimental study of contested jump shots.
Indiana doesn't need to reinvent basketball.
It needs to keep playing the parts that already work.
