Tyrese Haliburton proved himself as one of the NBA's top players in the Pacers' Eastern Conference Finals win against the New York Knicks. Haliburton put the NBA on notice by averaging 21 points per game in the ECF. While Haliburton's brilliance clinched the Pacers' first NBA Finals since 2000, Pacers forward Pascal Siakam cemented his place among the league's best No. 2s.
Siakam's performance in the Eastern Conference Finals and impact on the team
Pascal Siakam made his presence known for the Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals. In a closeout Game 6 victory, he scored 31 points on 10 of 18 shooting from the field. Siakam recorded three 30-point games in the series, including 39 points in Game 2 and 30 points in Game 4.
He averaged 24.8 PPG against the Knicks, leading the Pacers in scoring in the series. Haliburton earned most of the recognition for the Pacers series win, but Siakam rightfully won Conference Finals MVP.
Siakam has emerged as one of the most underrated players in the NBA over a decade-long career in the league. Siakam has seen huge progress since his rookie season in 2016-17, where he averaged just 4.2 PPG. Since the Raptors' 2018-19 championship season, Siakam has averaged 15 PPG or more every season. This season, he averaged 20.2 PPG, 6.9 RPG, and 3.4 APG.
The Pacers acquired Siakam from the Raptors in January of 2024 in a three-team trade with the New Orleans Pelicans. The Indiana Pacers front office has shown its ability to build a championship-caliber roster, as two of its stars were acquired through trades. Tyrese Haliburton was acquired from the Sacramento Kings in 2022.
Siakam having experience in the NBA Finals benefits the Pacers
While the Oklahoma City Thunder are heavily favored to defeat the Indiana Pacers in the NBA Finals, Siakam's NBA Finals experience helps the team heading into the series. In 2019, Siakam played a crucial role in contributing to the Toronto Raptors' 2019 NBA Championship win over the Golden State Warriors. The Pacers are hoping that Siakam can provide the same blueprint the Raptors had for the Pacers in the NBA Finals.