Anybody can have a take in 2025—one of the pros and cons of the world these days. NBA players who played the game have a duty to make thoughtful takes because their words carry the most weight amongst regular Joes. Gilbert Arenas doesn't honor that responsibility, as he's admittedly said he has takes for shock value. This Pascal Siakam take is another one Arenas had loaded in the chamber.
"Pascal [Siakam]... the fact that you're even in this discussion about who is the most important No. 2 [option], it's you because you're supposed to be the No. 1 [option]... kinda tells me that Indiana's really not ready for it," Arenas said on ESPN.
This was something. For starters, ESPN teeing up this question is pretty ridiculous. Are we discussing second options or second-best players on the team? Because Siakam has clearly been the Indiana Pacers' No. 1 option since his arrival.
Arenas claims Siakam hasn't taken that leap since his splash-on-the-scene run as a second option in Toronto. Aye yi yi, what more does Arenas want from Siakam? Objectively speaking, Siakam has matched Arenas in more than one way.
Arenas' laughable take that a floor general can't be the guy on the team is selective memory, or is it ignorance? Earvin Magic Johnson exists.
Grade the take: Siakam is a disappointment (D-)
Gilbert Arenas' only saving grace is that I have no idea what he expected from Siakam. From the G-League to key piece on a championship to All-Star, it sounds like a manga arc to me. Siakam was never slated to be a game changer, but he defied the odds.
Siakam actually took a direct leap after the 2019 run and Kawhi Leonard's departure. As the Raptors' first option, he went from 17 to 23 points and was named an All-Star and All-NBA player.
Gilbert Arenas was an electric player briefly. Throughout his career, Arenas was a three-time All-Star and All-NBA. Siakam has matched his All-Star total and is one shy of his All-NBA total at 30 years old.
In terms of options, Siakam is still the first option on his team. Tyrese Haliburton is the most impactful player on the team, but Siakam leads the Pacers in points and shot attempts. That combination has historically deemed one the first option.
The last part of Arenas's take that ESPN blasted into the sports-sphere was his insinuation that a team can't be that good or a title contender if a playmaker is the team's best player. Magic Johnson retired in 1996 for good, but he doesn't have the highest career assists per game average (11.2) for this slander.
Magic had Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, but by 1983, there was no debate about who their guy was. From 1983 to 1991, Magic finished first, second, or third in the MVP race. The Lakers were contenders every season and racked up three titles during that stretch. Magic Johnson, arguably the best playmaker to do it, lifted those teams to the highest heights.
Haliburton isn't Magic, but it's disingenuous to write off Indiana because an efficient playmaker is their most impactful player.
Arenas' take was flat-out nauseating and had a hot-take stench all over it. Siakam has been a great closer and scorer for the Pacers, and if Hali is their best player, cool.
That doesn't diminish their chances to compete at all. The Indiana Pacers are in the Conference Finals for the second straight year.