Underrated Siakam, who may become one of the strongest power forwards in history in the future

On June 12, in the NBA's historical scroll, the power forward position has always been a place where superstars gather, from Duncan, Nowitzki to Garnett and Malone, these names have long been engraved at the top of the Basketball Temple. However, when people discuss the future potential of active players, Pascal Siakam's name is often skipped in an understatement. The forward-line champion from Cameroon is proving at an astonishing evolutionary speed that he may become a strong contender in the strongest No. 4 position in history - although his brilliance is still covered by MVP players such as Jokic and Antetokounmpo.

### **From Africa to North America: An overlooked growth trajectory**

When Siakam was selected by the Raptors with the 27th pick in the first round, the scout report only defined him as "a defensive engineer with excellent athleticism." But in just three years, he has become the X factor in the 2019 Raptors' championship. The performance of G1's 32 points in the finals left the Warriors helpless in defense. This counterattack is no accident: Siakam's growth trajectory is full of unconventional jumps. He was only in contact with regular basketball training at the age of 19, and with his terrifying learning ability, he completed the leap from the African amateur league to the core of the NBA championship. As the Toronto Star commented: "His progress curve is like a vertically rising line, subverting expectations every year."

Technically, Siakam's arsenal has far surpassed the template of traditional power forwards. He has a height of 2.06 meters and a wingspan of 2.22 meters, but he can carry the ball like a defender. He averaged 4.2 assists per game in the 2023-24 season to hit a career high. Pacers coach Carlisle even asked him to undertake some organizational tasks. What's even more terrifying is that his offensive without dead corners: his three-point shooting percentage has been stable at more than 37% in the past two seasons, and his back-to-back singles scored more than 85% of the league's players (data source: NBA Advanced Stats). This composite form of "space-type four-position + support axis + misaligned killer" is the most scarce asset of modern basketball.

### **The invisible value behind the data**

Although Siakam has not been selected for a while, advanced data has long revealed his unique value. During his win contribution (WS) last season, he ranked 9th in the league, even surpassing Tatum and Durant. When he was on the court, the team's net win in 100 rounds increased by 6.3 points, which was on the same level as MVP candidates such as Jokic and Embiid. What is particularly noteworthy is his playoff performance: his career averaged 20.3 points and 7.1 rebounds per game, with a real shooting percentage of 58%, second only to Antetokounmpo among active power forwards. This characteristic of "when you meet strong" is the standard for historical superstars. The comparison between

and the predecessors is more telling. As an international player, Nowitzki reached the finals for the first time at the age of 28, while Siakam has won the championship as the second leader at the age of 25. Compared with Malone's first seven years of his career, Siakam has reached the division finals three times. Of course, these achievements are inseparable from the support of the team, but his stability in key battles is astonishing - in the 2024 Eastern Conference semi-finals, he scored 35 points, 14 rebounds and 5 assists, becoming the fifth player to reach 35+10+5 in the tiebreak match in the past 20 years (previously only James, Durant, Curry and Jokic achieved).

### **The three major underestimated sources**

Siakum's "invisibility" phenomenon actually reflects the cognitive bias of the contemporary NBA. First of all, his playing style lacks visual impact. Without Antetokounmpo's violent dunk or Davis's hot pot feast, he relies on solid footwork and rhythm changes to score. This "low-key gorgeousness" is difficult to harvest traffic. Secondly, the Raptors were in a small market team for a long time, and then turned to the Pacers and shared the spotlight with Halliburton. More importantly, he is in the prosperous era of power forwards, Jokic and Antetokounmpo monopolize the MVP votes, and All-Star players such as Adebayo and Sabonis Jr. are also diverting attention.

But historical experience shows that true greatness requires time to be tested. Duncan didn't gain wide recognition until 2003 (the sixth year of his career), and nowitzki won the title in 2011. Siakam, 30, is at his peak. If he can lead the Pacers to win the championship and win the FMVP in the next three years, his historical status will undergo a qualitative change. Basketball analyst Kevin O'Connor pointed out: "He has all the elements of becoming the top five forwards in history - the championship gene, offense and defense balance, and the global influence of international players. The only thing he lacks is the continuous accumulation of honor."

### **Future Blueprint: The Ladder to Legend**

To achieve the ambition of "one of the strongest in history", Siakam still needs to cross the triple threshold. The first is health management. He missed an average of 18 regular season games in the past three seasons, and his durability is far less than that of iron-man seniors such as Malone and Duncan; the second is technical fine-tuning to improve the stability of free throws at critical moments (the career free throw shooting percentage is only 74% in the playoffs) and defensive position selection awareness; the most important thing is the transformation of leadership temperament, transforming from a "top deputy" to a "team soul". During the 2024 offseason, the Pacers offered him a maximum salary of 190 million in four years, and this trust will give birth to greater responsibilities.

From a broader perspective, Siakam's rise symbolizes the deepening of globalization of basketball. Cameroon, a football-dominated country, has become a new hotbed for NBA talents because of him and Embiid. If he can maintain an average annual output of 25+8+5 until he is 35 years old and add another ring, the historical power forward rankings will surely be reshuffled. As ESPN reporter Zach Lovie said: "When people are addicted to discussing the future of Vinban Yama, they forget that Siakam is writing a more realistic grassroots counterattack epic - and this is exactly the most moving part of sportsmanship."

In this era of pursuit of instant satisfaction, Siakam's story reminds us that greatness never comes according to preset scripts.. Those names that were initially underrated often shine with the most dazzling light after the years settle.