The New York Knicks are one of the best three-point defending teams in the NBA Playoffs, and the Pacers have just the guy to work around that in the conference finals--Pascal Siakam. Through 12 playoff games, the Knicks are forcing teams to shoot just 34% from beyond the arc. This includes a six-game series against the Boston Celtics, who rely heavily on the three-ball.
Indiana has been the best three-point shooting team in the playoffs by a wide margin, shooting 40.6% from three-point land. It would make sense for them to keep doing what has worked for them so far, but it could also be wise to change things up to counteract New York's perimeter defense. In doing so, they would have to rely heavily on Siakam, whose play in the post and in the mid-range could be what decides this series.
Pascal Siakam is crucial to Indiana's success
In his first full year with the Pacers, Siakam has continued to elevate them on both sides of the ball. Offensively, he has added a completely new dynamic to the team due to his mid-range prowess. Against the Knicks, who have fantastic perimeter defenders in guys like Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby, the Pacers will need Siakam to be on his A-game in case they opt to stay inside the perimeter a bit more.
The Pacers and Knicks will meet up on Wednesday for Game 1 of the conference finals. Whichever team wins will punch their ticket to the NBA Finals. Neither team has made it that far in over two decades, but one of them will buck that trend this year.
Both teams have a lot going for them heading into the matchup. Furthermore, they are both pretty evenly matched, meaning that making adjustments and executing the gameplan will be crucial for both teams. Heading into the series, it will be worth monitoring what changes head coach Rick Carlisle makes for the Pacers, both in terms of strategy and the rotation. More specifically, it will be interesting to see if the Pacers move away from the three-ball a bit against New York, or if they will continue to let it fly.
Indiana will rely heavily on their top players to send the Knicks home, but arguably none of them will be as important as Siakam. The one-time NBA Champion continues to prove his value with the Pacers, and he is crucial to their dreams of making it back to the NBA Finals.