Where’s the MVP buzz for Toronto Raptors star Pascal Siakam?

With superstar-caliber numbers on one of the surprising best teams in the East, perhaps Pascal Siakam deserves a spot in the MVP conversation.

Pascal Siakam‘s third-year leap last season was one of the biggest factors behind the Toronto Raptors’ first NBA title. That continued growth is also why many expected the Raptors to remain amid the playoff picture out East despite the departure of their Finals MVP.

The remains of Toronto’s championship team were good enough to compete on a nightly basis. A greater role would afford Siakam a chance at his first All-Star appearance. Nearly 20 games into the season and both predictions are currently being blown out of the water.

The Raptors sport an identical 15-4 record through 19 games compared to the same point of last season, with the second-highest net rating in the league.

They are one of only two NBA teams to rank in the top five in both offensive and defensive rating despite the prolonged absences of Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka, who have missed a combined 22 games.

No team can attribute this type of success to a single player and Toronto is no exception, but the way in which Siakam has once again blossomed to fill the Kawhi Leonard-sized hole in the offense is difficult not to single out.

Siakam is averaging career-highs across the board with 25.6 points, 8.4 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game. He’s shooting almost four more 3-point attempts per game compared to last season — 2.7 to 6.5, respectively — yet has bumped his percentage to a career-best 39.0 percent.

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Only Karl-Anthony Towns is producing at a similar level to Siakam this season and only six other times has anyone else in NBA history done the same.

With improvement that nearly replicates last year’s breakout campaign, who’s to say the reigning Most Improved Player can’t become the first back-to-back winner?

More than elite-level production or the sparkling team record, the players who garner MVP consideration tend to bring with them a captivating backstory behind their stellar season.

Fans and voters want to invest in the player behind the numbers. It’s what helps differentiate between identical stat sheets and similar records to better serve their opinions, and the 2019-20 season is certainly not short on compelling options.

Giannis Antetokounmpo has somehow improved on last season’s MVP year to push the Milwaukee Bucks to the best record in the NBA once again.

A rejuvenated LeBron James is leading the league in assists per game while his Los Angeles Lakers are tied with Milwaukee for the west’s top record.

The Dallas Mavericks sport the league’s top offense thanks to historic levels of production from sophomore phenom Luka Doncic.

All three and more are rightfully in the conversation, but Siakam has credentials that should have him right there with them.

The Raptors’ title defense was supposedly sullied by the departure of Leonard, but mostly on the shoulders of Siakam have they skipped few beats en route to the second-best record in the East.

With so much left to go in the season, that heartwarming narrative doesn’t lock up the MVP trophy for Siakam just yet. Combined with superstar numbers and team success to match, it should, at the very least though, have him in a conversation where his name is woefully lacking.