All Of A Sudden: Pascal Siakam
Other than people within the Toronto Raptors organization, I do not think anyone saw Pascal Siakim’s massive jump happening. Throughout his first two seasons, Siakam was known as an energetic role player off the bench. But entering year three, he made his name known to the public.
Prior to this season, Siakam averaged just around six points and four rebounds in a total of 136 games. He also made around 51% of his shots from the floor, 22% from the three-point line, and 64% from the free-throw stripe.
This year, Siakam’s numbers have skyrocketed as he averaged around 17 points and seven rebounds a contest while making 55% of his shots from the floor, 37% from the perimeter, and 78% from the charity stripe.
To begin the season, the Raptors were hoping that their acquisition for Kawhi Leonard would help their team take that next step forward towards a championship. Although Leonard has fulfilled the role as the franchise guy, the surprise improvement of Pascal Siakam has also uplifted the Raptors to becoming a powerhouse in the East.
He has truly developed into an elite role player for a championship-caliber team. Not too bad for a recent late first-round pick.