Pascal Siakam Must Emulate Towns and Castle for Pacers
Pascal Siakam has been cast as more than a scorer for the Indiana Pacers. If they want a championship run next season with Tyrese Haliburton, he has to add the kind of playmaking and two-way work Karl-Anthony Towns and Stephon Castle have already supplied.
Siakam’s Expanded Pacers Role
The Pacers reached the Finals in 2025 with Siakam as a crucial piece, but the next step asks for more than finishing plays. He needs to become a bigger passer and carry more of the offensive organizing load while keeping the defensive side from sliding when Indiana leans on Haliburton.
That is the role shift the comparison points to. Towns has taken on additional playmaking for the Knicks and helped lift New York’s offense alongside Jalen Brunson, while Castle has given the Spurs two-way value as a top scorer who also takes on big-time defensive assignments.
Towns And Castle As Templates
This year, both the Knicks and Spurs reached the NBA Finals, and their playoff use of Towns and Castle offers the Pacers a clear template. Towns was not asked to stay in one lane; he handled more creation, and that gave New York another source of offense next to Brunson and OG Anunoby.
Castle’s value came from the other side of the floor as much as the box score. He guarded Jalen Brunson for much of this series and earlier in the playoffs drew assignments against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jared McCain, giving San Antonio a player who could score and defend at a high level in the same run.
Haliburton And Indiana’s Ceiling
For Indiana, the point is simple: Siakam has to be a big-time passer, not just a frontcourt finisher. The Pacers’ ceiling with Haliburton depends on a second star who can make reads, handle pressure, and cover more than one job when the game tightens.
That leaves next season shaped by role, not reputation. Siakam already mattered in 2025 when Indiana made the Finals, and the demand now is that he turns that importance into a broader package the Pacers can build around.
