Kurtz wrote:This isn't going to be one of them threads where everyone who was screaming for Pascal to be dealt for years is now suddenly pretending that they actually wanted to build around him, is it?
Anyway, this Pascal thing speaks volumes about greatness being about fit almost as much as it is about talent.
Beneath a certain threshold, fit is hugely important. Having a table-setter like Hali on the team is a BIG deal for Siakam, as is having the kind of spacing and coaching he enjoys in Indiana, no doubt. Though to be fair, last year and this season, he seems just more comfortable with his halfcourt game.
It also speaks about our conviction about what wins. I think the entire NBA world was convinced that you needed to be led by an MVP-level player, a short playoff rotation, and your offense must be structured around creating open 3 point looks. And Carlise is showing us that nope, you can win while being led by the likes of TJ Mcconnel, Obi Topin and Andrew Nembhard too if you have the right chemistry, commitment and playstyle.
Well, that's a little disingenuous. They aren't being led by TJ, Obi and Nembhard. Those guys are contributing around what Pascal and Hali are doing ahead of them. They're excellent roleplayers, but they HAVE rocked a remarkably deep rotation. They have EIGHT double-digit scorers in the Finals instead of your conventional high-volume dude leading the way. And having a very strong PG rotation helps enable that.
