The Indiana Pacers are getting set to take on the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals. Both teams are led by strong point guards in Tyrese Haliburton and Jalen Brunson, and it should be a great matchup. But Charles Barkley stated that one Pacers player will be even more essential than Haliburton — and called him the most underrated player in the NBA.
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Pacers vs. Knicks is one of the most memorable rivalries in the NBA, thanks in large part to Reggie Miller and John Starks delivering heated, often chippy matchups in the ’90s. Even last year’s semifinal meeting between the two was extremely entertaining.
Indiana won that series in seven games, and it was something of an upset. Haliburton and Andrew Nembhard took most of the spotlight, but it was Pascal Siakam—acquired from the Raptors earlier that season—who quietly played a key role and went a bit under the radar.
It’s been the story of Siakam’s career. Even when he won a championship with Toronto, it was Kawhi Leonard who received most of the praise. Still, analysts and former players who understand the game, like Barkley, believe Siakam is one of the league’s unsung heroes, and someone who will need to be at his best for the Pacers to succeed.
“I like Haliburton, but I think the only reason the Pacers are here is Siakam,” Barkley said on Inside The NBA. “I think he’s the most underrated player in the NBA. He’s the best player on their team.”
It’s high praise coming from the Hall of Famer—and well-deserved, because Siakam has had a great season. He leads the Pacers in scoring (20 ppg), rebounds (6), and field goal percentage (51%) among starters.
But Haliburton has led the team in win shares for the past three seasons and posted a career-best 10.4 mark this season. Siakam is certainly the team’s best scorer, but is he the best player? Maybe not.
Regardless, Barkley continued to gush about the 6″8 power forward.
“But he’s the most underrated player in the NBA. And me and Draymond were talking, he’s one of the few players in the NBA who you can never run a play for, and he gets you 26. His ability is just, he’s so sleek.”
Siakam is a challenging matchup—not for his dribbling or shooting, but for his extraordinary 7-foot-3 wingspan that lets him reach around defenders and finish even the toughest layups.
That said, at the end of the day, this is Haliburton’s team. Siakam might be the most underrated player on the Pacers, as Barkley says, but Haliburton is the most accurately rated. He was even voted the most overrated player in the NBA in a poll by The Athletic. But you can’t be overrated without first being highly rated.
Anyone will tell you Haliburton is the face and engine of this team. Kudos to Barkley for giving Siakam some praise—he definitely deserves it. But don’t go around touting him as the best player on the team.
