Pascal Siakam is one of the best playoff performers in NBA history that no one really talks about as such.
His consistent excellence is a big part of the reason the Indiana Pacers are a game away from the NBA Finals.
But it predates Indiana. He was a playoff superstar for the Toronto Raptors and already has an NBA championship to show for it.
Siakam's career stats get better in the playoffs.
His regular season averages as a starter are 18.0 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. In the playoffs, it goes up to 19.8 points and 7.1 rebounds per game, entering Tuesday night's win.
The scoring mark got a slight bump up after Siakam scored an efficient 30 points (11-21 FG) to give Indiana a 3-1 series lead in the Eastern Conference Finals.
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Some guys rise to the occasion when the stakes are greatest. In this era, the two guys that get the most credit for that are Jimmy Butler and Jamal Murray.
It's time to consider Siakam in a similar way. He's a star in the regular season, but he asserts himself in an entirely more powerful way when the playoffs roll around.
Tyrese Haliburton is the engine, yes, but Siakam is the wheels. He keeps this Pacers train running on the tracks nice and smoothly.
And it's Playoff Pascal who will give the Pacers as good a reason as any to be legitimate NBA Finals contenders against whichever team makes it out of the West.
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