'As rangy and versatile a player as you can get': Thunder coach on Pascal Siakam ahead of 2025 NBA Finals
Pascal Siakam ,Image via Getty Images
With the 2025 NBA Finals approaching, all eyes are on the Larry O'Brien trophy, and the competition is intense between the Indiana Pacers and the Oklahoma City Thunder. While both teams have no dearth of talent, the Thunder head coach, Mark Daigneault, recently expressed his appreciation for Pascal Siakam, who has arguably been considered an underdog for a while, but is gaining ground as a great player with the Pacers.
With the Thunder being four wins away from the NBA Finals win, their coach expressed that he would not be overlooking the rising star, Siakam.
Oklahoma City Thunder coach expresses respect for Pacers star Pascal Siakam
To cement a position for the Thunder's head coach,
Mark Daigneault
expressed that he would have to limit Siakam's impact on both the offence and the defence. With players such as Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren with the Thunder, Siakam shouldn't pose as a threat.
Daigneault did not pass up on the opportunity to shower praises on Siakam and shared, 'Somebody we have high respect for and obviously a huge part of the series.' He added, 'Great versatility on both ends of the floor. Offensively, he can play in the pick-and-roll game as a handler, setter — he's kind of a matchup problem, quite frankly on that end.'
Additionally, he also added, 'Defensively he's one of their best help defenders.
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He's always eating space like all the help defenders. Got great length. He can play outside, inside. He's about as rangy and versatile a player as you can get at that position.'
Siakam has also enjoyed the process of being an integral part of the Pacers. In an interview, he shared what he loved most about playing with the team, and he shared, 'And another thing … we're resilient. We won't stop. And when there's bad games, we're still gonna be here. We're gonna wake up every single day and we're gonna go to work, and that's what you want from a team. That's why I always ride for these guys.'
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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's calm in the chaos is the MVP force powering Oklahoma City Thunder's NBA Finals run
He also added, 'It's just a bunch of good guys. And when you have that, and everyone is committed to the work, and there's no selfishness and it's all about winning, that's what you want to have.'
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