While there is no doubt that the Pacers are Tyrese Haliburton’s team, it is also clear that Pascal Siakam is a star. Everyone in Indy knows this, and now the team at ESPN seems to agree. When the site released their second phase of their 2025 NBA player rankings (players ranked 50-11), Siakam came in at number 22.
While some other Pacers were still disrespected, Siakam is finally being seen accurately as a force on Indy’s squad.
Pascal Siakam’s long road to recognition
When the Pacers first traded for Siakam in January of 2024, many thought the Pacers gave up too much to get him. The same boo-birds were making a lot of noise last summer when the Pacers gave Siakam a contract of 4 years/$189.5 million.
A Finals appearance and one Eastern Conference finals MVP trophy later, Siakam’s prowess is now being recognized, though Indy fans were ahead of the curve.
While this upcoming season’s efficiency has been questioned due to the loss of Haliburton, his offensive creation was appropriately highlighted. When the season embarks in just a few weeks, Siakam’s play creation will definitely be an essential piece to this Pacers’ puzzle.
Is No. 22 an accurate ranking for Pascal Siakam?
Whenever a national pundit releases any sort of league-wide ranking, it is natural to assume local players deserve a higher ranking. And while this 40-player list does include some questionable placements (I’m looking at you, Kawhi Leonard; the Clipper clocked in at No. 20, a two-spot improvement from 2024), Siakam’s slot at No. 22 seems quite accurate.
Since this ranking includes the entire league, a spot at No. 22 assumes that Siakam is better than the best player on (at least) eight teams in the league. That really is quite the compliment for a guy who is the No. 2 guy on his own team.
Again, there are some questionable placements in the 25-11 spots – though all of the players ranked higher than Siakam have a legitimate argument for their placement in this list.
Pascal Siakam needs to be at his peak this season
Assuming Haliburton really does not play this season, Siakam will need to earn his $45 million salary to keep the Pacers competitive. While Indy almost assuredly will continue the team-first mentality this upcoming season, the team will need their 2024-25 All-Star to step up for them to retain any semblance of last year’s success.
If Siakam does hold steady or even improve (hey, it could happen!) and the younger pieces of the roster continue their growth, the Pacers truly will be a team to look out for this year.