Video: Pascal Siakam Challenges Hali, Pacers to Not 'F--king Bulls--t' During Season
Traditionally, the Indiana Pacers are a team that can sneak up on opponents and catch them by surprise, but that will not be the case during the 2024-25 campaign after they reached last season's Eastern Conference Finals.
Pascal Siakam and Tyrese Haliburton know that.
Siakam posted a preseason mixtape where he and Haliburton challenge each other and the rest of the team to lock in ahead of the upcoming season.
"Stay together, stay locked in and compete, man," Siakam said. "Every f--king day. There's no day where we come in there and we just f--king bulls--t. Like, every day we're putting the work in."
Siakam is fully committed to the Pacers, who acquired him from the Toronto Raptors via trade last season. He agreed to a four-year, max extension this offseason and will be one of the faces of the team alongside Haliburton.
That duo's ability to match up with the best the Eastern Conference has to offer will ultimately determine Indiana's ceiling. The Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers all figure to challenge for a spot in the NBA Finals, and teams such as the Orlando Magic, Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat could be dangerous as well.
Where that leaves the Pacers remains to be seen, but they have plenty of momentum after their deepest playoff run since the 2013-14 campaign.
But they have to build on that, and Siakam made sure to stress how important it will be to stay dialed in during the season.
