Latest news with #PascalSiakam
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Tyrese Haliburton Gets Brutally Honest About Injury, Pacers Losing Finals
Tyrese Haliburton Gets Brutally Honest About Injury, Pacers Losing Finals originally appeared on Athlon Sports. For the next several years, Indiana Pacers fans will be wondering "what if." What if Tyrese Haliburton didn't tear his Achilles in Game 7 of the NBA Finals? He had scored nine points in just seven minutes and looked well on his way to authoring one of the best performances in Finals history, and then he went down with a devastating injury. Advertisement Haliburton, Damian Lillard, and Jayson Tatum all suffered Achilles tears in the playoffs, and all three are expected to miss all of next season, possibly jeopardizing their careers, as a full recovery is not guaranteed. After undergoing surgery to repair the tendon, Haliburton took to social media to thank his fans and express his frustration in a shockingly honest post. "Now that I've gotten surgery, I wish I could count the number of times people will tell me I'm going to 'come back stronger,'" he posted. "What a cliche lol, this s--- sucks. My foot feels like dead weight." Haliburton went on to offer apologies to Pacers fans, although he made it clear that he has no regrets and that he--and the team--will be back in the following seasons. Advertisement With Pascal Siakam, Obi Toppin, Aaron Nesmith, TJ McConnell, and Andrew Nembhard all under contract for the next few seasons, and the Eastern Conference weaker than ever, even a hobbled Pacers team should be able to make it back to the playoffs, and once Haliburton returns, there is reason to believe they can pick up right where they left off. Check out the All Pacers homepage for more news, analysis, and must-read articles. Related: Pascal Siakam Reveals How Trade to Pacers Saved His Career Related: Indiana Pacers Receive Devastating Injury Update on Tyrese Haliburton This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 24, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Why Indiana Pacers Not Picking in 2025 NBA Draft is Genius
Why Indiana Pacers Not Picking in 2025 NBA Draft is Genius originally appeared on Athlon Sports. On Wednesday, all eyes will be on the Barclays Center as teams draft top talent in the first round. After finishing fourth in the Eastern Conference, the Indiana Pacers were given the 23rd overall pick. Advertisement However, during the NBA Finals, Indiana made a trade with the New Orleans Pelicans, sending the 23rd pick--as well as the rights to Mojave King--in exchange for their 2026 first-round pick back. New Orleans received the pick from the Toronto Raptors in the deal that sent Brandon Ingram to Canada, and the Raptors originally acquired the pick in the trade that landed the Pacers Pascal Siakam. While the 2025 draft class is laden with talent, the 2026 class, headlined by AJ Dybantsa and the Boozer Twins, is expected to be even better. After it was revealed that Tyrese Haliburton won't play next season due to a torn Achilles, there is a solid chance that the Pacers will find themselves picking earlier than expected, ahead of 23rd, like they would this year. Advertisement Not only does missing out on a guaranteed contract this summer offer some flexibility to the Pacers, but they could add an even better player next summer. The Pelicans will pick eighth and 23rd this year, while the Pacers boast only the 54th overall pick in the second round, which is set for Thursday. While Indiana did not know that Haliburton would miss all of next season when they made the deal, it ended up working out better for them than initially thought, and after a presumed down year next season, they should be able to hit the ground running in 2026-27 with long-term success in mind. Related: 3 Indiana Pacers Stars Named in NBA Trade Rumors Related: Proposed Trade Between Lakers and Pacers Shows What's Wrong With NBA This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 25, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Tyrese Haliburton Goes Down Screaming As Game 7 Incident Aggravates Calf Injury
Tyrese Haliburton Goes Down Screaming As Game 7 Incident Aggravates Calf Injury originally appeared on Fadeaway World. Tyrese Haliburton's experience of playing in the NBA Finals remains muddied, as an injury in the first quarter of Game 7 saw the Indiana Pacers guard go down screaming. With an injury aggravating his calf injury, Haliburton had to be taken off the floor with 4:55 on the clock. Haliburton's injury appears to be on the same leg that effectively saw him sidelined in the early frames of Game 5 as well. Considering that the injury was labelled as a calf strain, the Pacers guard showed a lot of courage by soldiering through the injury to play in Game 6. Advertisement The calf injury had an impact on Haliburton's performance in Game 5, resulting in contributions of four points, seven rebounds, and six assists on zero field goals made. Considering the impact it had on his output, the Pacers may have been better served by replacing the guard for the game. Unfortunately, with the recurring injury seeing him taken out of the game yet again, the situation looks bleak for Indiana in a decisive Game 7 situation. And with the confirmation that he will not be returning for the remainder of the game, Indiana is likely to pin its hopes and aspirations on Pascal Siakam to carry this team through. The Pacers kept things close at the end of the first quarter with a 22-25 scoreline, with the star guard notching nine points on 3-5 shooting in seven minutes of playing time. With Haliburton going down, Indiana saw their reliable backup point guard, TJ McConnell, step in to take his place. Advertisement McConnell's unrelenting tenacity on the defensive end may be of value in this scenario, aiding Indiana's efforts in keeping the Oklahoma City Thunder at bay. With a contribution of two assists, a rebound, and a steal thus far, the veteran guard appears to be fulfilling his role. Meanwhile, the weight of Indiana's offense is now being carried by Siakam, who has recorded eight points for the game thus far. This effort has been closely supported by Bennedict Mathurin, who scored five crucial points, with a necessary three-pointer early in the second quarter. The Pacers continue to hang close with the number-one seed in the West. With the Oklahoma City Thunder seeing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander lead the charge with 16 points, the team looks primed to make a stand at home. Tyrese Haliburton Injures His Achilles Tendon Haliburton's departure from Game 7 may have more dire connotations for the future than expected. While his absence will undoubtedly have an impact on his team's performance at this crucial juncture, his future also looks concerning as the latest reports suggest that his injury was to his Achilles tendon. Advertisement ESPN's Lisa Salters reported on the matter after speaking with Haliburton's father and said: "Mr. Haliburton confirmed that it is an Achilles injury, and he said that Tyrese is doing as well as he can be under the circumstances. The entire family is back there with him... He seems to be in good spirits. He's watching the game and he's trying to root on his team from back in the locker room." This postseason has seen several players sidelined due to injuries, with the ACL becoming a common occurrence in particular. With the absence of a star having a dire impact on the team, the Pacers continue to hold strong, holding onto a one-point lead heading into the second half. Related: Ranking The 10 Greatest Game 7s In NBA Finals History This story was originally reported by Fadeaway World on Jun 23, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Noa Essengue turns heads with Scottie Barnes, Pascal Siakam comparisons amid Raptors
The post Noa Essengue turns heads with Scottie Barnes, Pascal Siakam comparisons amid Raptors appeared first on ClutchPoints. French phenom Noa Essengue will be among the Toronto Raptors' top realistic options with the No. 9 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. On Tuesday, ClutchPoints asked the projected lottery pick which NBA players he models his game after. Advertisement 'I'd say guys like Pascal Siakam, Scottie Barnes, Kawhi [Leonard]. They can really do everything on the court. Play defense, dribble, shooting,' he replied. The response quickly caught the eyes of Raptors fans. Toronto is projected to select Essengue with the No. 9 pick in ESPN's latest mock draft. Could his allusion to the team's current and former stars be an indication of what's to come? Noa Essengue says he models game after Raptors stars after ahead of 2025 NBA draft Essengue would check several boxes Masai Ujiri has prioritized in past prospects. At 6-foot-10 barefoot with a 7-foot-1 wingspan and fluid athleticism, the 18-year-old forward boasts impressive two-way upside. Advertisement Essengue has been impressive this season while playing in the BBL, Germany's top professional league. He has averaged 10.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists on 52/28/71 shooting splits in 22.8 minutes per game for Ratiopharm Ulm. Offensively, Essengue has been effective as a transition ball-handler, roll man and secondary self-creator, posting a 62.5 true shooting percentage. He's been a free-throw drawing machine, attempting 7.6 per 36 minutes and converting 70.7 percent. Adding weight to his 204-pound frame while improving his raw handle and outside shot could elevate his game to another level down the line. Essengue's length and nimble feet offer immense versatility defensively, something the Raptors have placed a premium on under Ujiri. The French prospect will continue to be linked to Toronto leading up to the team's pick on Wednesday night. Meanwhile, Bleacher Report projects the Brooklyn Nets to select him at No. 8, while several other mock drafts have him coming off the board in the late lottery or mid-teens. Related: NBA rumors: Nets-Raptors RJ Barrett trade is something to monitor
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
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Why did the Raptors part ways with Masai Ujiri?
Why did the Raptors part ways with Masai Ujiri? Yahoo Sports senior NBA analyst Kevin O'Connor and contributor Tom Haberstroh dissect Toronto's 'strange' decision to fire its president the day after the 2025 Draft. Hear the full conversation on 'The Kevin O'Connor Show' and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen. View more Video Transcript The day after the draft, the Toronto Raptors fire Masiauiri, who of course has been there over a decade at this point, won a championship in 2019. Advertisement He had one year left on his contract, so for this to happen today is crazy timing, Tom. My understanding is that Raptors ownership, MLSE, they felt like Massai was stretched too thin, with Basketball Without Borders, his nonprofit giants of Africa. I just think it shows a lot of dysfunction for him to actually be fired the morning after the draft. I think it's weird, Tom, what are your initial thoughts on the raptors firing Massa. He just acquired Brandon Ingram at the trade deadline, a guy who did not play because of an ankle injury since December 7th, and then resigned him to a contract extension with a lot of that trade package was from the Pascal C. deal. Advertisement By the way, the Pascal Siakam trade I wrote about last year and saying this was a horrible trade. They got a what I deemed a very poor return for Pascal Siakam. None of those picks were valuable and even though you can put on the billboard 3 1st round picks, they were, they were late first, almost guaranteed to be late first. And so I, to me, um, what this says is that as a leader. Masayuiri lost his way, because what I saw in Pascal Siakam's finals uh press conference when he said I lost the joy. I, I wrote this down cause I wanted to make sure I had it right. He said, I'm so glad that the Indiana Pacers traded for me, and quote, it was dark for me, not fun at all playing basketball. Advertisement He found his joy for the game and I lost that for a while. He's talking about Toronto Raptors. After winning a championship in 2019 under Massia Uiri's leadership, you're hearing Pascal Siakam, you're seeing that Kawhi Leonard left after winning a championship. You're seeing that, uh, Serge Ibaka, Fred Van Vleet, Danny Green, Marc Gasol, all left, walked in free agency. You can see how the post championship regime or the post championship chapter of the Toronto Raptors. Was really poor and worse yet, a really poor workplace, as you can hear from from Pascal Sciacca. A lot of mistakes by Massiah Giri in recent years, and so that's why I think, you know, ownership is probably right about certain things with his performance in recent years, ever since the championship, but ownership firing him the day after draft, it's just strange.
