Raptors launch title defense with little respect, few expectations
By Phil Watson
Storyline 1: Is Spicy P ready for the next step?
Pascal Siakam was one of the biggest stories in the NBA last season after he made a massive leap forward, locking down the starting spot at power forward for the Toronto Raptors and turning in a performance that made him a runaway winner for Most Improved Player.
His challenge for 2019-20? Do that all over again, but this time from solid starter to franchise focal point.
As the Raptors wrapped up their preseason with a 123-107 blowout of the Brooklyn Nets, Siakam finished the preseason averaging 17.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.7 steals in just 23.6 minutes per game, shooting 45.9 percent overall and canning 38.5 percent on 4.3 deep tries per game.
So from the very early returns, it looks like he might just be able to make that leap. At 6-foot-9 and 230 pounds, Siakam should have some physical advantages at the 3 that he did not possess at the 4 and he’s quick and athletic enough to handle the defensive work on the perimeter.
He was extremely efficient as a prominent role player last season, shooting 54.9 percent overall and 36.9 percent on 2.7 3-point attempts per game, while improving his free throw percentage from the low 60s to 78.5 percent.
Siakam averaged 16.9 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 31.9 minutes per game, starting 79 of the 80 games in which he appeared.
Then he put together a very good postseason as Robin to Kawhi Leonard’s Batman, averaging 19.0 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.0 steals in 37.1 minutes per game during the playoffs. His shooting efficiency went down to a slash line of .470/.279/.759, but his shot attempts per game also spiked from 11.8 to 16.0.
How well Siakam makes the transition to being the No. 1 option will correlate closely with how well the Raptors fare in Year 1 A.K. (After Klaw).