Indiana Pacers fans have long called Pascal Siakam the most underrated player in the NBA, and it seems like they're not alone. In a recent episode of the "Game Over" podcast, Max Kellerman spoke highly about Siakam and what he's done in his career up to this point. Additionally, he made it clear that he believes the Cameroon native will be remembered for years to come.
"[Pascal] Siakam does a lot of really good things, and he's on a lot of winning teams. I think he's one of these dudes, it's not that he's going to be talked about more [in 10 years], but the wise-heads are gonna be like, 'Pascal Siakam.' ... Siakam is averaging 20-plus a night for years now. ... Siakam was the second-best player on the [2018-19 Toronto Raptors]," Kellerman said.
Pascal Siakam is still incredibly underrated
Siakam has finished in the top 10 in NBA MVP voting just once in his career (he finished 10th in 2019-20), and he currently has a 5.7% chance of making the Hall of Fame, according to Basketball Reference. He's not going to go down as one of the all-time greats, but he has made an impact during his time with the Toronto Raptors and the Pacers that many seem to have overlooked.
As Kellerman mentioned, he was (arguably) the second-best player on that Raptors championship team behind Kawhi Leonard. And that's saying something considering how much talent was on that team (Kyle Lowry, Fred VanVleet, Norman Powell, OG Anunoby, Marc Gasol, just to name a few).
Additionally, Siakam is a four-time All-Star (and counting), a two-time All-NBA selection, a one-time Most Improved Player, and a one-time Eastern Conference MVP recipient. (And had Indiana defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals last year, he maybe would have won the MVP award for that series as well).
The Pacers wouldn't have made it to two consecutive conference finals without Siakam. They wouldn't have been one win away from winning it all last year without him. And they wouldn't be able to re-enter the title picture next season without him either. He has played an instrumental role in their success over the past couple of years, both on and off the court.
While the one-time NBA champion has greatly elevated Indiana in every area of the game, he has also taken on a mentorship role with the team (particularly with Jarace Walker, whom he has spoken highly of numerous times). And it's paying dividends.
The casuals might not remember Siakam in 10 years. He might just be an answer to a trivia question for some. But for the real fans who love the game beyond just the highlights, Siakam's impact won't be forgotten, even if it might not seem like it in the moment.