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Toronto Raptors: A Pascal Siakam return brings playoff hope

By Jack Simone

TORONTO, ON - OCTOBER 20: Pascal Siakam #43 of the Toronto Raptors cheers on his team from the bench against the Washington Wizards during the second half of their basketball game at Scotiabank Arena on October 20, 2021 in Toronto, Canada. User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - OCTOBER 20: Pascal Siakam #43 of the Toronto Raptors cheers on his team from the bench against the Washington Wizards during the second half of their basketball game at Scotiabank Arena on October 20, 2021 in Toronto, Canada. User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images) /
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Toronto Raptors
Fred VanVleet #20 of the Toronto Raptors and Scottie Barnes #4 celebrate in the game against the Indiana Pacers (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

The Toronto Raptors are in a very weird spot as an organization. They aren’t necessarily built to win a championship, but they’re not a bottom-of-the-e-barrel team, either.

Of the 17 players on their roster, they have no one taller than 6-9. At the same time, they only have three players that are shorter than 6-5. It’s definitely an odd mix.

As of now, the best player on their team is a rookie. Scottie Barnes, who they selected with the fourth overall pick, has been absolutely amazing for them.

Toronto is 5-3 right now after a fairly slow start to the season. They also got some good news as of late which could help them on their quest to make the playoffs.

According to Pascal Siakam’s agent, Todd Ramasar, the Raptors forward could return in the next couple of weeks. He has been recovering from shoulder surgery which he had this offseason.

Siakam struggled last season, but with a new, young team in Toronto, the Raptors could make some noise. They may not have a ton of star power, but they have some really good players.

OG Anunoby has taken another leap this year, and while Fred VanVleet’s shooting numbers have gone down a bit, he’s still playing pretty well, too.

A squad of Siakam, Barnes, Anunoby, and VanVleet doesn’t sound like a team that would make a playoff push, but they’re well on their way to doing just that. They have plenty of playoff experience as it is.

The Raptors are also getting solid contributions from other players, too. Gary Trent Jr. is the most notable of these guys, as he’s putting up over 15 points a game for Toronto.

In addition, players like Svi Mykhailiuk, Precious Acihuwa, and Khem Birch seem to have stepped up so far this year. Chris Boucher is struggling, but the elevated play of these three has more than made up for it.

Going into the season, some may have seen the Raptors as a lottery team who could potentially fight for a playoff spot. Well, not it’s looking like they could be even better than expected.

The return of Siakam could elevate the Toronto Raptors from a good team to a bonafide playoff team. With how well they are playing without him, that’s not too crazy to think about.

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