With Tyrese Haliburton out for the season due to an Achilles injury and Myles Turner now a member of the Milwaukee Bucks, the Indiana Pacers put a lot more on Pascal Siakam's plate to deliver on both sides of the ball.
A little over one month into the season, Siakam has done exactly that and then some.
Pascal Siakam has been incredible for the Pacers this season
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There were [a lot of high expectations](https://8points9seconds.com/pacers-fans-will-finally-get-see-best-version-pascal-siakam-this-season) for the Cameroon native once it became obvious he was going to be Indiana's top guy. He was already an important part of the Pacers' offense, but without Haliburton, Siakam was going to be tasked with even more responsibilities to generate his own shots and help to create for others, all while still playing an important role defensively.
He may not be an MVP frontrunner, but the Pacers should be plenty happy with the way Siakam has stepped up.
Through his first 19 games of the season, Siakam averaged 23.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1.3 steals in 34.5 minutes. Additionally, he shot 47.7% from the field and 34.4% from deep.
Siakam is currently leading the team in points, rebounds, steals, minutes, and field goal attempts per game. Furthermore, he is third in assists per game behind Andrew Nembhard and T.J. McConnell.
The Pacers needed the 31-year-old to step up in a major way, [and he's done that](https://8points9seconds.com/pascal-siakam-taking-leap-even-diehard-pacers-fans-didnt-see-coming). He is having one of the best seasons of his career, and he is proving that Indiana was right to put as much trust in him as it did.
Siakam being the lead guy hasn't led to many victories for the Pacers, who are 4-16 and are just one game ahead of the Washington Wizards, who own the worst record in the NBA. Even so, this is far from his fault as the team dealt with some brutal injuries to begin the season and is still learning how to navigate through life without two of their most important players in recent years.
Not a lot has gone right for the Pacers so far this season, but at the very least, they are getting a much-needed optimism boost from Siakam. The three-time All-Star could be in line for another nod this season, and rightfully so. He has put the Pacers on his back and has done just about all he can to help the team exceed expectations (even if it hasn't worked out that way to this point).
Once Indiana gets Haliburton back, the team should be able to re-establish itself as a title contender. And if Siakam can continue playing at this level, then he and the Pacers should be in a great spot for the foreseeable future to finally secure their first-ever NBA championship.