When the Indiana Pacers traded for Pascal Siakam in January of 2024, the immediate response was divided. Most were optimistic that Siakam could fit in well alongside Tyrese Haliburton and Myles Turner, but the general belief was that he wouldn't be able to elevate them to contender status.
If the past two seasons are a sign of what Siakam is truly capable of, however, then the NBA has criminally underrated his place among the best the Association has to offer.
Siakam has an impressive résumé, starting with the Most Improved Player award that he won in 2018-19. That same season, he was the Toronto Raptors' second-leading scorer, helping Kawhi Leonard deliver the first and only championship in franchise history.
Siakam has since become a two-time All-NBA honoree and three-time All-Star, with 2025 being the most recent nod in the latter respect.
He earned that honor and is now in line for All-NBA status in 2024-25 after averaging 20.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.6 three-point field goals made on .519/.389/.734 shooting. Despite those achievements, Siakam is rarely mentioned among the top players in the NBA.
A year after helping Indiana reach the 2024 Eastern Conference Finals, Siakam has kicked off the 2025 NBA Playoffs with a performance that reaffirms his status as one of the best in the world.
Pascal Siakam thriving in the playoffs—yet again
Siakam led the charge during the Pacers' 117-98 Game 1 win over the Milwaukee Bucks. He scored a team-high 25 points, adding seven rebounds, two assists, one block, and a steal on 10-of-15 shooting, including a 3-of-5 mark from beyond the arc.
Siakam also had a game-high +/- of +28, which accurately reflected his certifiably elite impact on the game from beginning to end.
It wasn't just the 25 points that set the tone for Indiana, as Siakam was equally as active on defense. He came up with a team-high three deflections, as well as eight shot contests, which ranked second behind Turner.
It was a brilliant display from start to finish that revealed the All-NBA impact of a player whose two-way value has become essential to Indiana's sustained success.
Indiana is led by a generational playmaker in Tyrese Haliburton, but there's a limited supply of reliable scoring threats. There are plenty of players who can put points on the board via Haliburton's facilitating, but in terms of isolation players who can generate offense, there's a shortage of options.
Siakam fills that void in a way that has consistently translated to the postseason, and will continue to be essential to the Pacers' hopes of reaching a second straight Conference Finals.
Despite the value, production, and defensive quality that Siakam provides, he's often a late inclusion as far as accolades are concerned. Most acknowledge how good he is in passing, but he's been overlooked in more in-depth conversations about the NBA's hierarchy.
If Siakam succeeds in helping the Pacers win another playoff series, however, those conversations will need to commence as legacy becomes a bigger discussion.