Pascal Siakam's Merits for Joining the Pacers Emerge as NBA Unveils altered All-Star Selection Method
INDIANAPOLIS — The NBA is introducing a fresh All-Star game format in 2025, and fan voting for the 2024-25 campaign commenced on Thursday. Indianapolis was the location for the 2024 All-Star events, and players from the local NBA team, the Indiana Pacers, shared their thoughts on the revamped All-Star game this week.
“I’m merely accustomed to it. The finest All-Star game I’ve witnessed was when they had the East vs West format, I believe they were playing to a point total,” Pacers center Myles Turner said. “It turned quite competitive. I grasp the need to switch things up, but in my viewpoint, I believe the classic East vs West is enjoyable. It’s what I grew up on and what I comprehend.”
Under the new system, the 24 All-Stars will be split into three teams of eight. A fourth team, consisting of the team that wins the Rising Stars Challenge, will join those three teams for a single-elimination tournament. Games will be played to a target score, and there's monetary incentives at stake for each team. Securing a round earns a squad additional cash.
“I’m unsure if I’m fond of that. But I think it’ll be excellent for viewers,” Pacers wing Ben Sheppard said. “I believe it’s cool they continue to add neat stuff like that.”
The NBA is seeking methods to make the game more competitive and captivating for fans. In the meantime, the procedure for naming All-Stars remains the same as in recent years. Last year, the Indiana Pacers had just one player named an All-Star — and they have a few candidates once again this season.
Who is most likely to be an All-Star from the Indiana Pacers in 2025?
Although Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton was an All-Star last year, he isn’t the Pacers player with the best chances of being recognized this season. At present, that's Pascal Siakam — a two-time All-NBA forward who is having a stellar campaign.
Siakam is averaging 20.1 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game thus far this season across 28 outings — he hasn't missed a game for the Pacers yet. Only 14 players in the NBA are achieving all three of those statistical benchmarks, and Siakam joins Karl-Anthony Towns, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum, Cade Cunningham, Scottie Barnes, Paolo Banchero, and Joel Embiid as the only ones doing it in the Eastern Conference. Barnes, Banchero, and Embiid have missed major time this year that will likely exclude them from the All-Star race — Siakam has been outstanding and has production and availability stats that demonstrate his impact this year.
“Pascal displayed his adaptability tonight in a significant way,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said Thursday after Siakam scored 25 points and pulled down 18 rebounds. “He just has so many skills. He’s having such a fantastic year.”
Siakam is complementing that level of performance with better defense. He's been more effective on that side of the floor this season, something he had hoped would occur when he re-signed with Indiana in the offseason. His steal and block rates are higher than last year, and he has been tasked with challenging matchups all year — he’s been the primary assignment on Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Jaylen Brown this season. His rebounding numbers are impressive, too, and he just notched an 18-rebound night this week in Phoenix. Indiana's defensive rebound rate is higher with Siakam on the court than off.
His outside shot has been more accurate, too, with a career-high 42.9% of Siakam’s threes having gone through the net this year. As a leader, he has stepped up on a still-growing Pacers team. He’s been crucial for the blue and gold after signing a new contract in the offseason.
“I think since [2019], he’s essentially settled into being this All-Star player every year,” Suns star Kevin Durant said of Siakam. “I think he’s just moved into that role of being an All-Star, and that self-assurance was there early on in his career.”
Siakam has been remarkably consistent, scoring between 14 and 26 points in 22 of his 28 games this season. He’s rarely had a bad night, shooting below 40% in a game just three times. At the same time, he’s hit 60% or better seven times, and he’s scored 20+ points on 16 occasions. He has three double-doubles, too, thanks to his effective rebounding.
Altogether, Siakam has been excellent and has continued to demonstrate why Indiana traded for him back in January. The main factor preventing him from his third All-Star appearance might be the standings — the Pacers are currently eighth in the Eastern Conference at 13-15.
What about Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton?
Haliburton also requires the Pacers to be an improved team to be considered for his third consecutive All-Star appearance. He also needs to enhance individually, though. He’s been all over the place this season, not only struggling early, but also hitting a groove at other times.
Currently, Haliburton is scoring an average of 18.7 points and dishing out 8.0 assists per game, numbers that are lower than his performance last season. This assist count is the lowest for Haliburton since his time with the Sacramento Kings, and his occasional inefficient play is holding back his scoring. At the moment, his field goal percentage (42.7%) and three-point percentage (35.4%) are both at their career lows.
However, Haliburton remains optimistic about his love for basketball. During a better phase of his season, he stated, "I just really enjoy playing basketball, I love the game."
Haliburton's consistent performance is crucial for him to be involved in All-Star discussions. Despite his fifth place in assists per game in the NBA, his peaks have been few and far between, limiting Indiana's lethal potential. Unless there's a significant improvement in Haliburton's performance or Indiana's overall performance in the coming weeks, he might miss out on the All-Star conversation.
No other Pacers player seems worthy of a spot in the 2025 All-Star event. Bennedict Mathurin and Myles Turner have been decent this season, but they haven't reached All-Star level. Pascal Siakam has a decent chance, and Haliburton could also make it with a strong comeback. However, Siakam's selection might depend on Indiana's performance as a team, and if he does get selected, he'll be the first Pacer to experience the new All-Star format.
Tokens from the given words were used in the following sentences:
The Indiana Pacers have several talented players, such as Pascal Siakam and Tyrese Haliburton, who could potentially represent the team in the NBA All-Star game in 2025.
Despite Tyrese Haliburton's impressive performance last year, earning him an All-Star spot, Pascal Siakam's current form and consistency make him the most likely player from the Indiana Pacers to earn an All-Star nod in 2025.
