NBA Notes: Pacers, Pascal Siakam, Bulls, Anthony Davis, Pistons

Pacers

Injuries have wrecked the Pacers’ depth chart, but Pascal Siakam said that can’t be an excuse for a 1-12 start (through Sunday).

He told Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star that the team has to hold itself to a higher standard.

“We are playing in the NBA, the best league in the world,” Siakam said. “There’s no excuse. It has to matter. We have to fight.”

The Pacers have been operating with multiple hardship additions, but that window closed Saturday.

Cody Martin’s 10-day deal expired and Indiana no longer qualifies for a second hardship exception, per Dopirak. Martin appeared in four games during his short stay.

Bulls

With all the Anthony Davis noise circling Dallas, the question always comes up: would the Bulls make a run at the Chicago native?

Joe Cowley of the Sun-Times isn’t buying it, pointing to Arturas Karnisovas’ preseason message about “patience” and avoiding shortcuts.

Davis still has two years left on his three-year, $175 million deal, including a player option.

I tend to agree with Cowley, but I passed along a hypothetical trade proposal about Davis and the Bulls, anyway.

On the court, Coby White finally made his season debut and delivered 27 points and eight assists in a double-overtime loss to Utah. White missed the first month with a calf strain.

“The coaching staff talked to me about coming back and being aggressive,” White said, via Cowley. “Not tiptoeing. I focused on that.”

White will be an unrestricted free agent next summer.

Pistons

The Pistons may get three starters back tonight against Indiana, as relayed by Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press.

Cade Cunningham (left hip contusion) missed the past two games, and Ausar Thompson (right ankle sprain) has been out for three. Both are listed as questionable.

Jalen Duren, who has also missed two straight with a right ankle sprain, is listed as probable.