Toronto Raptors: 2018-19 NBA season preview

Storyline 3: Will Pascal Siakam make the jump?

As a raw prospect picked 27th in the draft by the Raptors, not much was expected of Pascal Siakam coming out of New Mexico State. Now entering his third year in the league, he has a chance to build on the progress he made last season, where he emerged as an energetic forward who can dominate in the post along with being a capable ball-handler for his size.

In fact, it’s not out of this world to say that he can take over at starting power forward for Serge Ibaka by the end of this calendar year. His per 36 minutes averages last season round out to be at 12.6 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists. Furthermore, in five games as the team’s starter, he averaged 13.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.

The one area of his game that has held him back from blossoming into a modern-day stretch-4 is his inconsistent shooting from 3-point range. Siakam currently possesses a career 21.6 percent 3-point percentage, sinking only 30 of his 139 attempts. However, under the tutelage of trainer Rico Hines, it looks like his shot has made some significant strides, as workout videos were posted of him lighting it up from downtown. It is yet to be seen if this translates into actual game production.

So based on all of this, if I’m Serge Ibaka, I’d be feeling my seat warm up as the season progresses, barring a sudden improvement at 29 years old. That being said, despite the fact that he is 29, he still does have a consistent mid-range game and even though he is no longer the defender he once was at OKC, Ibaka can still be considered as a defensive lynchpin in Nurse’s scheme. We’ll see how this position battle goes as the games are played, but for the time being, this should be Ibaka’s spot to hold down until further notice.