Pascal Siakam is asserting his dominance for the Indiana Pacers
By Ryan Stano
When the Indiana Pacers made the big move to trade for Pascal Siakam, they were hoping to get a versatile wing who could switch on defense and be a secondary ball-handler for Tyrese Haliburton. Siakam had showcased those skills while playing for the Raptors.
They have gotten that and more with Siakam. He has slowly morphed into the best player on the team while Haliburton continues to struggle since his hamstring injury. Siakam showed all of that in the Pacers' 121-100 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday night,
Siakam had 28 points on 11-22 shooting to go along with 11 rebounds. His work in the paint and in the midrange gives the Pacers something they didn't have before; a reliable scorer who can create his own shot close to the basket. Siakam's length gives him a unique advantage in that regard.
Pascal Siakam is the Pacers' most consistent player.
Siakam has shown to be the Pacers' most consistent player on the roster night in and night out. That's why he's the best now. Indiana knows what they are getting when he steps out on the floor every night. They're getting about 20 points, 8 rebounds, and a guy who will try hard on defense.
Against the Nets in particular, Siakam created open shots for Haliburton too. He was able to drive into the paint and kick it to Haliburton for open threes. Unfortunately, Haliburton continues to brick his outside shots. Still, those are types of winning plays that Siakam can create.
The Pacers are still winning games while Haliburton struggles from deep because of Siakam. His work offensively has carried the team through the rut. He can carry the team against middling teams like the Nets, but Haliburton is going to have to hit shots for them to beat the better teams in the league.
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Indiana is currently 6th in the East and just two and a half games out of fourth place. They still have a realistic shot to get home-court advantage in the playoffs. If Siakam keeps playing like this, they can't be counted out to get that 4th seed.