Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam is a star, yet he never gets treated as such. Following the team's season-opening loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Sam Vecenie of the "Game Theory Podcast" pointed this out and mentioned that the two-time All-NBA selection deserves more recognition.
"It's so funny. When we talk about all these All-NBA guys, and the guys we think are gonna make All-NBA for the first time, and predictions for All-NBA...[Siakam's] name is just always gonna get forgotten until Game 81 or Game 79 or whatever, and it's like, 'Oh [expletive], Pascal Siakam has been amazing this year, maybe he is an All-NBA player,'" Vecenie said.
Siakam has long been a solid player in the NBA, and he played a crucial role in the Toronto Raptors' championship victory in 2019. However, he has rarely gotten the respect he deserves, and that has especially boiled over into his Pacers tenure.
The New Mexico State alum has gotten better since getting traded to Indiana in 2024. He has seen massive jumps as a three-point shooter (shot a career-high 38.9% from deep in 2024-25), and he is still playing at a high level in every area of the game.
Nobody is denying that the Pacers' true star is Tyrese Haliburton since he is the engine of everything they do offensively. However, when discussing the real best player on Indiana's roster, there is a fair case to be made for Siakam, who took home the 2025 Eastern Conference MVP Award (and likely would have won the NBA Finals MVP Award had the Pacers won Game 7).
Siakam is one of the best players in the NBA, yet he is also still massively underrated. This season will be a great opportunity for him to remind the basketball world just how dominant he can be (and for Pacers fans to show their guy some love in the midst of what could be a career year).
Pascal Siakam will have a chance to prove his dominance this season
With Haliburton out and Myles Turner now with the Milwaukee Bucks, there were expectations that Siakam would become an even bigger part of Indiana's offense. Nearly a week into the season, this has been the case.
Through the first three games of the 2025-26 season, the two-time All-Star is averaging 26 points, 10.3 rebounds, 6 assists, and 1 steal. Additionally, he is shooting 45.9% on 20.3 field goal attempts per game and 42.1% on 6.3 three-point attempts per game. It's early, but his volume during a season has never been higher, and fans should expect that trend to continue this season.
What makes Siakam so great is that he truly can do it all. He can score at all three levels while creating his own shot, shooting off a catch-and-shoot, and, most importantly, he is fantastic in the post. Furthermore, he is a good defender who can guard multiple positions, he can rebound, and he can facilitate.
Siakam is the ultimate team guy. Despite not getting his proper respect, he plays winning basketball in so many ways, and he will look to continue to do that as the Pacers aim to re-establish themselves as title contenders.
Ahead of the 2025 NBA Finals, Siakam spoke about the impact basketball has had on him and why he is going to keep doing his thing, regardless of whether others take notice.
"I'm just a young kid from Cameroon, that moved to the U.S. when I was eighteen years old and gave everything to the game of basketball."
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 1, 2025
—Pascal Siakam on what winning the Eastern Conference finals MVP trophy meant to him 🏆 pic.twitter.com/KMS0SKFRbs
“I know I’m not the guy that everyone’s going to talk about a lot, and all that stuff. I really don’t care about it,” said Siakam.
“I’m just a young kid from Cameroon that moved to the US when I was 18 years old and gave everything to the game of basketball. I just work every single day. I don’t cheat the work. Good games, bad games, I’m in the gym. I care about the game of basketball, and I want to be as great as I can.
“To me, that’s all that matters, man.”
The 31-year-old might not be the best in the league at any specific thing, but he can contribute in every single area at a high level, and that makes him such a crucial part of Indiana's success.
Siakam has had a fantastic NBA career to this point, but he may be in line for his best season yet. As the Pacers look to stay afloat, they will need him to bring his A-game to make that happen. And so far, that's exactly what they've gotten.