Who had money on the Pacers being in the NBA Finals against the Thunder? You must be swimming in a river of dollar bills right now, if that’s the case. Their Cinderella run might be one of the best ever if they manage to win it all. Going 3-2 down heading into the 6th game wasn’t on their bucket list for sure. And the spotlight will be on either Tyrese Haliburton or Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to bring it home. But this series has put Pascal Siakam and Jalen Williams in the conversation just as much.
Siakam brings something no one else on the Pacers’ roster does: A ring. He wants more gold after tasting it 6 years ago. But while the rest of the squad focuses on marking Shai and his antics, J-Dub keeps putting in shift after shift. He sealed a 120-109 Game 5 win with his record-breaking 40-point blinder. Both fill similar roles for their teams: Efficient forwards with two-way abilities that draw comparisons to a certain Giannis Antetokounmpo. But who’s the better of the two?
Who Has the Better All-Around Regular Season Record: Pascal Siakam or Jalen Williams?
To be fair, their pathways to success in the NBA are quite distinct. While Spicy P is more of a veteran at 30 years of age, Williams has been on a roll even if it’s just been three years since his introduction to the pros. Siakam has more total career achievements with 9 seasons, including an NBA Championship and 2 All-NBA selections. Williams, on the other hand? Not even a WCF to show for it before the current season. But that might be a bit unfair to Dub, considering Siakam has been in the league way longer.
When it comes to the matchups between them, there had just been three before these Finals. The Thunder won both their games against the Pacers in the regular season. When Siakam was part of the Toronto Raptors, he played just 1 game against Williams, winning 128-111. So Williams holds an edge here, averaging 17.7 points, 4.7 assists and 4.3 rebounds in 3 games. Meanwhile, Siakam averages 19.3 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 assists in these games.
The comparisons start to make sense when you crunch their individual numbers. Jalen Williams, despite having just 3 seasons, matches Siakam’s PPG (18.1 vs. 18.0) and leads in FG%, 3PT%, FT%, and steals per game. But the Pacers star dominates in total stats due to his longer career, with over 11,000 points and 4,000 rebounds, compared to Williams’ 3,901 points and under 1,000 rebounds. So it’s 1-0 to the Cameroonian on this one.
Who Performs Better in the NBA Playoffs: Pascal Siakam or Jalen Williams?
Now is when we get into the nitty-gritty of the stats. Here, longevity is no issue; it’s more about the point average that holds the weight. Jalen Williams averages 20.7 PPG in the playoffs, significantly higher than Siakam’s 18.2 PPG. Williams also contributes more assists (5.2 vs. 3.2) and steals (1.5 vs. 0.9) per game in the postseason.
But well, there’s an asterisk in these comparisons. And this where Siakam’s longevity comes back into the fray, just with a new word: experience. Siakam has played 3x more playoff games (91 vs. 31) and won a championship, giving him the experience advantage. The OKC forward has had better peak playoff performances, including 21.7 PPG and 5.4 APG in 2025. And of course, the absolute Game 5 masterclass, where he got a 40/6/4 statline, including a steal while shooting 56% from the field.
Back to 1-1. This genuinely feels like their NBA Finals matchup on a smaller scale.
Who Has the Edge in Career Honors and Two-Way Impact: Siakam or Williams?
And now, the Grand Finale. The legend vs the kiddo with an attitude. As mentioned earlier, Siakam leads in career honors: 3x All-Star, 2x All-NBA, NBA Champion. But in just 3 years in the NBA, Williams has 1 All-Star and 1 All-Defensive Team selection, showing strong two-way potential early in his career.
Jalen’s higher steal rate (1.4 regular season, 1.5 playoffs) and All-Defensive nod suggest better defensive prowess. But Siakam’s a versatile “switch‑everything” defender, guarding positions 1–5, anchoring the league’s top defenses in spurts (and named East Finals MVP this year). So this might be dead even after all, which puts both at a 1-1 standstill.
Nov 8, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams (8) smiles following a play against the Houston Rockets during the second quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
This might be one of those “enjoy them while you can” conversations. But this analysis just proves how dead even both are. Pascal Siakam’s legacy is already well written in the NBA. But Jalen Williams is just getting started. And if his Finals debut is something to go by, then we’re in for a good ride.
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