Toronto Raptors: 3 candidates for a breakout season in 2018-19
1. Pascal Siakam
For Pascal Siakam, it may be now or never for a long-awaited breakout from the former first-rounder.
He started 38 games during his rookie season, showing occasional promise, but struggling by and large.
He started one game during his sophomore season, receiving a greater role despite fewer starts. Siakam awarded the team with more points (7.3 per game), rebounds (4.5), and made shots (.508 field goal percentage).
The 2016 WAC Player of the Year — a unanimous selection, mind you — is capable of much more.
Maybe new head coach Nick Nurse is the man that can unlock that potential.
There should certainly be more opportunity available. Big man Jakob Poeltl vanished in the Leonard trade with no big man coming back in the deal. Toronto didn’t have any NBA Draft picks either, so there is a hole about the size of Siakam to fill in the frontcourt.
According to Basketball-Reference, Siakam accounted for 4.7 win shares last year, tying him with VanVleet for sixth on the team. One player ahead of him? Jakob Poeltl.
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In a contract year — the team holds an option for 2019-20 — Siakam must prove that the Raptors were right to choose him over Poeltl in the team’s blockbuster summer deal.