The NBA got its first major trade of the season. Typically, the first domino to fall, the move from the Indiana Pacers has all the makings of a blockbuster. Whether it be assets, 3 first-round picks, good role players, Bruce Brown and Jordan Nwora, or an incoming star in Pascal Siakam, the move promises to have consequences, both in the short and long term. And, with the team’s trajectory, those consequences might be for the best. Even the TNT crew was in full appreciation of the move from Indiana, with Charles Barkley kicking things off.
“This ain’t a good trade for the Pacers. This is a great trade. It’s a great trade, not even a good trade. I love what they’re doing in Indiana. They’re like, ‘Hey, you know what? Let’s go for it.’” And Charles thinks he knows the key reason for their mentality becoming win-now.
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“You’re only afraid of the Boston Celtics. You’re not afraid of the [Milwaukee] Bucks. ‘We own the Bucks. We beat them pretty much every time we play them this year’. The [Philadelphia 7] 6ixers, I think they need another piece. We only got to beat Boston Celtics.”
So, for a player of the caliber of Siakam, the trade was a no-brainer. “If we got a chance to get an All-Star, an All-Star, you don’t very often get a chance to get All-Stars on your team… His numbers only gonna get better coz he playing with better players.”
"This ain't a good trade for the Pacers, it's a great trade." 👀
Chuck's reaction to Indiana's trade for Pascal Siakam pic.twitter.com/JoeGRzqIMB
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) January 19, 2024
Further, he thinks this move could genuinely catapult them beyond Milwaukee, for one key reason. “Listen, the Bucks are not playing well…They gave up 140 points the other night. Dame [Damian Lillard] hit the shot, you can’t give up 140 points and win in the NBA.”
Could Barkley be right? Is this move enough to make Indiana title contenders?
The hole in the argument by Charles Barkley
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Moving ahead, the 76ers legend would take into account the standings. But, the problem with Milwaukee’s defense being a highlight is the team in question. While the Bucks have the 7th-worst defense in the league, Indy is second-last.
On the other hand, offensively the gap is far too short to count significantly between the two squads. Even though the Pacers have won their regular season encounters so far, the playoffs could tell a different story. The addition of Pascal does bridge the gap on both ends to a large extent.
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But, can it make them reach the heights of Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks? Guess we’ll find out soon enough.