Key Highlights:
Pascal Siakam is the first player since Wilt Chamberlain in 1967 to start out the postseason with back-to-back 35/10 games. Siakam is too fast for Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis and too big for any of the Milwaukee Bucks’ other defenders. Siakam’s combination of size and skill is the key to the Indiana Pacers’ hyper-potent fastbreak attack.
When the Indiana Pacers pulled the trigger on the blockbuster midseason trade that netted them Pascal Siakam, they were doing so with their eyes trained toward the future. Despite this year being the final year of Siakam’s contract, the Pacers seem confident that the two-time All-NBA forward will resign with them this offseason. That means that Indiana has a two-way star at the heart of his prime to flank the dazzling Tyrese Haliburton and his blitzkrieg barrage. Together, the tandem, if built around properly, has a chance to be one of the best teams in the East for the next half decade.
What I (and I believe many others) underestimated about the deal is just how valuable Siakam would be for the team this postseason.
Unprecedented Numbers
Through the first two games of their first-round series against the Milwaukee Bucks, Siakam is averaging 36.5 PPG, 12 RPG, 4 APG, and 1.0 BPG on 67.9% true shooting. According to the good people at Opta Stats, Siakam is the first player since the great Wilt Chamberlain (1967) to put up 35 and 10 (in points and rebounds) in his first two playoff games. Also, in Game 2, Siakam became just the sixth player in NBA history to put up a 35/10/5 with zero turnovers.
A Riddle Milwaukee Just Can’t Solve
More than the crazy numbers, Siakam has been essential in the Pacers’ ability to split the first two games of the series in Milwaukee. With Giannis Antetokounmpo missing in action with a calf injury, the Bucks are down their best option to defend Siakam. That has forced them to choose between Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis to see who will be the lucky raffle winner of the contest for defending Siakam.
Throughout his career, Portis has been an incredibly underwhelming defender. So, Head Coach Doc Rivers wasn’t exactly salivating at the opportunity to have him guard Siakam. Because of this, Milwaukee started out the series with their two-time All-Defensive Team center (Lopez) on Siakam. Lopez is a great drop defender and rim protector. Plus, he’s very mobile for his size (7’1) and age (36). The problem is that Siakam is faster and more skilled than most fellows in his height bracket (6’8).
A Transition Dynamo
The biggest selling point for Siakam joining the Pacers (outside of the fact that he’s one of the 40 best basketball players on the planet) is that he fits the Pacers’ identity perfectly. Specifically, he’s a great transition player on a team that loves to run and gun.
If you race up the court faster than the defense, chances are that you will gain access to a high-value field goal attempt. But the part about playing with pace that people often forget to talk about is the cross-matches that it creates. For those who may not be fully aware, a cross-match is what happens when an offense gets up the court so fast that the defense is forced into matchups that are different than the ones they initially intended.
