The Indiana Pacers have officially clinched their second consecutive playoff spot and will look to go on another deep run. After making the conference finals last season, the Pacers have had an even better campaign this year and are a bigger postseason threat. They are a much more well-rounded team and are among the most resilient teams in the NBA. Furthermore, they are on pace to secure homecourt advantage for the first time since 2020.
As the Pacers look to compete for a title, there are a lot of teams standing in the way. However, Indiana has constantly proven they can rise to the occasion and play up to the competition. If the Pacers want to go deep in the playoffs this year, they will rely heavily on their top-three players--Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam, and Myles Turner.
While Haliburton and Turner are fully prepared to go for the playoffs, there is a concerning Siakam development that fans will want to monitor the rest of the way as it could lead to the end of the team's season much earlier than many anticipate.
The Pacers must monitor this Pascal Siakam concern
Siakam is arguably the most consistent player on the Pacers and has continued to prove that he is crucial to the team's success. In his first full season with the Pacers, the one-time champion is averaging 20.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game. Additionally, he is shooting 51.8% from the field and 38.5% from beyond the arc. Siakam was also the Pacers' lone All-Star representative this year.
While Siakam is having a good season in Indiana, his play has dropped a bit since the All-Star break. Additionally, he is gradually looking more tired when on the court, which is negatively impacting his and the team's performance. This could prove to be a major concern as Siakam will most likely see his minutes increase during the playoffs once the Pacers trim their rotation and take on the best teams in the league.
This season, Siakam has missed just one regular season game and is averaging 32.7 minutes. With the regular season winding down, it will be worth following exactly how the Pacers manage his playing time. He is crucial to their success and championship aspirations. Hopefully for him and the team, he can be as effective as possible as the Pacers look to shock the basketball world again and make a deep playoff run.