Over one year after acquiring him in a blockbuster trade, Pascal Siakam has been fantastic for the Indiana Pacers. He has proven to be a great fit next to Tyrese Haliburton and Myles Turner, and he has helped the team improve in each area of the game. This season especially, the 30-year-old has improved in one specific area that has helped himself and the team out drastically.
Pascal Siakam's three-point shooting is crucial to Indiana's success
Through 51 games this season, Siakam is shooting 41.% from the three-point line on 4.2 attempts per game. Before this season, his career-best three-point shooting season was in 2018-19, when he shot 36.9% from beyond the arc with the Toronto Raptors.
While not known as a sharpshooter, Siakam has mostly been a solid threat from the outside throughout his career, and he has taken that extra step this season. This has helped the Pacers maximize their offense.
Because of their fast style of play on offense, the Pacers are one of the highest-scoring teams in the league. Last season, they ranked first in the NBA, averaging 123.3 points per game. This season, while they have dropped to 115.7 points per game, this still ranks as the 10th-best in the NBA. However, in the last two months, they rank fifth-best in points per game.
The Pacers are an elite scoring team despite shooting just 35.2 three-point shots per game this season. However, with Siakam's jump as a perimeter shooter, it has helped the team unlock their offense and take that next step as title contenders.
There is still a lot of basketball left to be played, but the Pacers look primed for another deep playoff run. While it is still mostly because of their offense, which Siakam has helped unlock, their defense has also taken a big step forward. The Pacers now look like one of the most complete teams in basketball which should make them even bigger threats in the playoffs.
Siakam was the only Pacer chosen for the All-Star game this season, and he deserved the nod. He has played well since joining the Pacers and is crucial to their success. However, he and the team are clearly aiming for something bigger this season--bringing an NBA championship to Indiana.
The Pacers are currently 29-22 and own the No. 4 seed in the East. Furthermore, they are just 4.5 games behind the New York Knicks for the No. 3 seed. After making the conference finals last season, the Pacers are looking to repeat that successful run. As long as Siakam continues to play the way he has been, they will be in a good spot to do exactly that.