By his own admission, Pascal Siakam had never been a vocal leader over the course of his career before coming to the Indiana Pacers but because of his championship pedigree his young teammates have been eager to soak in any wisdom and insights he’s willing to provide.
“It’s different. I’m usually not a talkative person,” Siakam said after the Pacers game two victory to even the first-round series against the Bucks at 1-1. “I’m coming in, I’m putting the work in every day hoping to lead by example. I was challenged a little bit with this group to talk and it feels better when it feels like your voice is received well … like they want to get all the information that you have. It’s been good. I enjoy it. It’s another part of my growth as a player. It feels good when you have a group of guys that have their ears out, wanting to listen and get better.”
Safe to say, he’s leading by example as well while leading the NBA in scoring in the playoffs after two games with 36.5 points and 12 rebounds per game. He’s on lists that only a select few have been able to achieve in the postseason where everything gets harder.
“His experience in the playoffs is so valuable,” Rick Carlisle said. “He’s not a guy that’s going to be rattled by anything … he’s a guy that people confide in and look up to. He’s established himself on our team as a veteran leader, a mentor because he’s been there. He’s constantly saying ‘keep your edge’ … because he’s been there so many times.”
While multiple Pacers have admitted that nerves got to them a bit to open up the postseason, the veteran Siakam has oozed confidence and poise, never looking rushed as he calmly gets to his spots over and over again against the Bucks defense. Not only has he led the league in scoring early in the playoffs, but his efficiency is off the charts as his field-goal percentage (64.6%) also sits atop the league for anyone taking at least 8 shots per game.
“He’s leading by example,” Myles Turner said of his frontcourt partner. “The stuff he’s talking about he’s going out and doing. Grabbing boards, being so offensively effective, getting guys involved, speaking up, that’s the kind of stuff we need. He’s been a hell of an acquisition for us.”
The Pacers gave up three first-round picks along with Bruce Brown for these exact moments but also to give Tyrese Haliburton an offensive partner that can make defense’s pay for when they commit to taking the star point guard away. After the In-Season Tournament and their point guard’s meteoric rise, defenses repeatedly doubled, blitz, and trapped the new superstar to force the ball out of his hands as often as possible. The Pacers supporting cast struggled to take advantage, making it clear how badly the team needed another star to serve as a secondary offensive engine. The Milwaukee Bucks are now trying the same thing in these playoffs and they’ve slowed Haliburton down considerably, holding him to just 10 points and 8.5 shot attempts per game. But that increased focus to stop him has opened things up even more for Siakam.
“He’s been unbelievable,” Haliburton said. “He’s doing a good job of taking what the defense gives him. They are trying to cross match and put their big on him, basically saying they are going to live with him taking those mid-range jumpers which is where he makes a living.”
Not only does he fit with the Pacers preferred transition attack, he also gives them a bonafide self-creator in the half-court setting, adding an important dynamic to what was already one of the league’s best offenses.
Siakam’s primary defenders have been the excellent Brook Lopez and the lengthy Khris Middleton but he’s feasted no matter the matchup. Working into his own shot from the elbows after dribbling into the mid-post, making corner 3-pointers, banging for buckets in the low post on mismatches, and making himself available with timely cuts.
“Just taking what’s out there,” Siakam said about his approach. “I don’t feel like I’m trying anything or forcing anything, just playing in the flow of the offense and taking whatever’s there. That’s always been my game: reacting to the defense, taking what’s there and living with the results.”
It will be interesting to see if the Bucks are also willing to continue to live with the results of their current strategy against him or if they will adjust their coverages against the Pacers forward. While there are reports from Shams Charania that Giannis Antetokounmpo may remain out, the Greek Freak is lurking as the ultimate adjustment in this series if he’s able to return. Either way, the Pacers have a chance to take command of the first-round series as they return to Indy for games three and four.
“We’ve got to be the hungry team,” Siakam said. “We’ve got to be the team that’s coming in and wanting to show something. That’s the attitude that we’ve got to have against those guys because they’ve done it before.”
Free agency approaches for the forward this summer and with his play to start the postseason Siakam could demand whatever he wants this summer from Indiana and they’d likely happily oblige.
“I’m blessed to be able to be in an organization like the Pacers. They’ve given me everything. The love is amazing.”
They’ve given him everything so far because they’re going to have to give him a bag and he’ll be worth every cent.
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