Pascal Siakam wasn't named an All-Star starter this year, but there are still many who believe the Indiana Pacers star should be selected to the team. And that seems to include head coach Rick Carlisle (h/t Dustin Dopirak of IndyStar.com).
"He's doing everything," Carlisle said. "All-Star votes are due on Friday. They'll announce (Feb. 1) I'm very hopeful that the coaches recognize his efforts. He's been spectacular. He's not just been great, he's been beyond great."
Pascal Siakam has a real All-Star case
Regardless of whether he earns the honors or not, there is no denying that Siakam belongs in the All-Star conversation. He was selected to the team for the third time in his career last year, and he may be having an even better season this year.
Through 43 games this season, the Cameroon native has averaged 23.8 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1.2 steals in 33.8 minutes. All of these numbers are improvements from last season, and he is also shooting the ball well at 48.4% from the field and 38.6% from beyond the arc.
Siakam has essentially put the Pacers on his back, and it shows on a nightly basis. A lot of pressure was immediately put on him to lead the way following Tyrese Haliburton's injury and Myles Turner's departure. And while it hasn't led to many wins for the 10-35 Pacers, it's far from Siakam's fault.
The 31-year-old leads the team in points, rebounds, steals, minutes, and field goal attempts per game. A lot has been asked of him, and for the most part, he's delivered in a big way. He has also stepped up numerous times in the clutch for Indiana, including game winners over the Charlotte Hornets and Boston Celtics in January.
As it stands, the main argument against Siakam's All-Star campaign is how poorly his team has played this season. And that's hard to argue.
In theory, if you are the best player on the worst team in the East (and second-worst in the NBA), should you really be rewarded for that? It's a valid question, but this is an All-Star debate, not an MVP one. Being named an All-Star is almost entirely an individual honor, and it shouldn't matter much how poorly the team has played up to this point.
To say there are other players who deserve the nod over Siakam, who finished 12th in the starters voting, is also fair. There are going to be seven more All-Stars named moving forward, but many more players deserve a spot than that.
Regardless of whether he gets selected to his fourth All-Star team or not, there is no denying how important Siakam has been and will be to Indiana's success. And after this season, the Pacers will have their eyes on something much more important as they look to re-establish themselves as championship contenders and finish what they started in 2025.