As if the surpirse run to the Conference Finals wasn't enough, or this season's All-Star nod, Pascal Siakam has spent the last season and a half proving that the Indiana Pacers made a stellar move in trading for him.
Last winter, the Pacers sent Bruce Brown, Kira Lewis Jr., Jordan Nwora, and three first-round picks to the Toronto Raptors for Siakam, who immediately assumed the mantle as the second-best player on the roster and the best locker room presence.
He has hosted camps for his teammates, notably Jarace Walker, and has been excellent both on and off the court for the Pacers.
In Game 2 against the New York Knicks, he delivered a career-defining performance, scoring 39 points at Madison Square Garden to put the Pacers up 2-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals.
"He did everything," praised Rick Carlisle. "He attacked the rim. He was great in the mid-range, and the 3-point shot was there. It's hard to score that number of points in a game like this, where you always have a physical matchup defensively and there's a guy crashing and flying at the basket. But he did a phenomenal job. It's a quiet 39 points. It really was. He's a veteran who's been in these situations multiple times. He understands the importance of patience and being disciplined, and understanding the NBA playoffs are a process."
Siakam is a champion, helping the Toronto Raptors win their first and only NBA title in 2019, and he seems poised to achieve the same feat with the Pacers. Indiana was immediately dubbed the winner of the trade, but his sustained excellence just drives that point home.
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