Over a year ago, the Indiana Pacers traded for Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam. At the time, the Pacers acquired Siakam to complement Myles Turner in the frontcourt and create a new dynamic alongside guard Tyrese Haliburton. As it stands, the Pacers have gotten exactly what they wanted out of Siakam and then some.
The former NBA Champion immediately made an impact in Indiana and played a big role in the team's conference finals run last year. Fast forward to the present day, and trading for Siakam continues to look like a brilliant move for the Pacers.
Pascal Siakam continues to make an impact in Indiana
Through the first three games of their first-round series against the Milwaukee Bucks, the Pacers have played well overall and are getting good performances out of their players. However, no Pacer has been as consistent and impactful as Siakam. So far, the Cameroon native is averaging 25.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 2 steals in the playoffs. Furthermore, he is shooting 60% from the field and 57.1% from the three-point line.
Since joining the team, Siakam has changed everything about the Pacers and is elevating them on both sides of the ball. Furthermore, if he can continue playing at this level throughout the postseason, the Pacers (who have a 2-1 series lead over the Bucks) should be able to close the series out and make another deep run with him leading the way.
The Pacers have already made it clear that their eyes are on the NBA Finals and bringing an NBA title to Indiana. It will be a difficult task, especially given the competition ahead of them. However, the Pacers are a resilient team with a lot of talent. They are well-equipped to go on another deep playoff run this season and earn the national respect they deserve.
There are plenty of other important players on the Pacers roster, but arguably none of them are as valuable as Siakam is at this moment. He has been arguably the team's most consistent player all season, and he raises their ceiling.
With the Pacers looking to take a 3-1 series lead in Milwaukee on Sunday night, Siakam will be one of the most important players to monitor. If he can continue playing the way he has recently, the Pacers will have a good opportunity to not only send the Bucks home early for the second straight year, but they will also be able to potentially compete for an NBA Championship.