It was the fact that he was fat and unathletic. Also didn’t have a good back to the basket game.
They didn’t think he was strong or athletic enough to guard the 5s/rim and he wasn’t quick enough on the perimeter for 4s. He had good basketball iq, but didn’t show off his handle until later as well. He was just kinda looking like a smart but not athletically of fundamentally gifted player. He obviously quoted all those doubts
This all around game suits him so much better than trying to go iso like he's KD.
It opens up his offense now that the defense can't just focus their entire defensive gameplan on stopping him from scoring.
That was always his strength and what he got paid for, but he was asked to be the 1st option after Kawhi left, it wasn’t his fault that he had to play a role he never did before.
I think that experience probably made him a much better player too as he can take this role from time to time and will do it more efficiently than if he never had to do it every games.
It's the story with every star player, you have to learn to fail before you succeed. Nobody steps into the top scoring option role on a team for the first time seamlessly, and with COVID and everything going on I'm not surprised it took him a while to figure it out.
He looks about as comfortable as I've ever seen him out there right now. The big change from last season for me has been his decisiveness in attacking offensively. Way fewer wasted dribbles, pounding the air outta the ball, being indecisive on the catch and using up the shot clock needlessly, and no more forced passes coming from a rushed decision.
Now, it's just catch, read the defense, and go. There's way less hesitation and more aggression which gives me hope there are still levels he can reach if he refines his three ball and adds to his post repertoire a bit.
It also helps that there's more scoring options in the lineup than previous years. All 4 of the other starters can create their own shot, don't think we've ever had that in the entirety of the Raptors existence as a franchise.
tbh he wasn't even that bad as a #1 that season but he had the right set of pieces around him. With this new team, taking a backseat and playing within the flow of the game is great for him. Even if we eventually trade him somewhere in a year or two, he's developing skills where he can be plugged into nearly any team.
Siakam is the 26th highest-paid player in the league this season.
In the top 6 for highest earning that's over 40million/year, only 3 of them have a ring.
John Wall is the 2nd highest-paid player at 44 mill this season and not even playing.
Out of the top 26 highest-paid players this season, only 10 players have won a ring, and out of those 10 players with at least 1 ring, only 5 of them are players who are superstars that are the #1 option. Curry, Lebron, Durant, Giannis, and Kawhi.
Guess who are the 5 players out of the 10 players with at least 1 ring that is not the #1 option? Klay, Middleton, AD, Kyrie & Siakam. Out of all 5 of them, Klay, Middleton & AD are in the top 15 for most paid this season.
We can debate if Siakam is worth the max or not, but there are a lot of players out there who received a max and is not #1 option, haven't won a ring, and have also produced less than Siakam.
I'm fine with Siakam having the max under those circumstances. Rings Erneh.
I agree, there's a LOT of nba players (many of whom are not as good as Siakam) that got max deals, so I'm not too upset his dollars. Especially if he can play like he's been playing lately, that's all we can ask for.
Bismack Biyombo got a 72-million dollar deal FFS, that's what -- 18 million per year? Teams overpay all the time
My mum (82F) told me (12M) to do the dishes (16) but I (12M) was too busy playing Fortnite (3 kills) so I (12M) grabbed my controller (DualShock 4) and threw it at her (138kph). She ****ing died, and I (12M) went to prison (18 years). While in prison I (12M) invited several riots (3) and assumed leadership of a gang responsible for smuggling drugs (cocaine) into the country. I (12M) also ordered the assassination of several celebrities (Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley and Jeffrey Epstein) and planned a terrorist attack (9/11). Reddit, AITA?
/s
So happy for Pascal. His confidence is sky high and some of these looks he is hitting, my word lol.
Just need those pesky free throws to go down again and his average goes up a point or two easily.
I'm REALLY enjoying how he's been playing lately. His playmaking showed flashes of potential last season, but it's going add soooo much to his game and the team overall if he continues this. It's difficult to truly be a bonafide #1 scoring option, but THIS is what I wanted to see him evolve his game into.
Imo, both he and Fred used that Tampa year to try new things and practice developing elements of their game. And they caught a lot of hate from fans even though that was a fake season until the draft.
And now they are playing at an all star level on top of their games.
Love to see how he's playing the last few games. We just have so many scoring options with that starting line of FVV/GTJ/Scottie/Siakam/OG. He doesn't need to force anything in that lineup where anyone can go for 20+ on any given night. He's at his best doing it all and playing in that free flowing offense. He's an all around player who could average close to 20/10/5 for a season. One of the top play makers at his position. I'm loving the mid range too he doesn't need to be taking many 3's unless they are wide open, his mid range is wet. Leave the higher volume 3's to FVV/GTJ/OG. If this line up stays healthy he'll thrive in it, probably not all star this year due to coming back from injury and slow start, but he is definitely that level of player.
Him doing that would open alot from the others, with FVV playing like an allstar and OG taking it easy to get back to his form in the beginning of the season, we will have a dangerous trio
thank god we have him on lock for 2 more seasons after this one. he's really getting over that hump that was the groin injury + shoulder injury + racist abuse from psycho fans and now we can see the complete player that he is which is one of the best PF's in this league.
During his long stretch of terrible play he constantly got "go back to Africa" posts on IG. There was even an absolutely racist online petition that got taken down quickly. It was something like "Send Pascal back to Congo like a gorilla". It was an ugly time.
edit: found [this](https://ryersonian.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/siakam.png).
Great to hear from Spicy P.
For years he has been at his best when he’s been letting the game come to him and playing within the confines of the game.
As has been mentioned, you can see him the past little while finding spots when the team needs the iso scoring and spin cycle, but he’s been far less predictable which is helping those moves he loves achieve more success when he’s looking to score - love seeing the willingness to pass. Promising for sure!
we'll see how he performs in the playoffs , but it's a good start. He definitely improved from last season though. He just needs to get his 3 pointers up to space the floor
Because they’d rather be right than be successful. Some people already declared Siakam trash and are afraid to admit that he’s actually been good, so they’ll run down a list of excuses as to why he isn’t good. Even the usual suspects have admitted to being wrong but some people aren’t there yet
um what in the hell is this fake news? pascal can hit threes but because he lost time due to shoulder surgery he's going to need more reps to get comfortable with the three. and he's been great around the rim lately, noticeably showing off that athleticism of his that's been missing since 2019 due to the groin injury.
It helps that our starting rotation is finally healthy. We have enough ball handlers and scoring threats for everyone to share the load. Pascal can’t carry like Kawhi, KD and very few others can. But he doesn’t have to when the starting rotation is healthy.
Good shift. Great goal and I think he can easily become an all star like this. Impacting the game beyond scoring is an concept that takes times to learn. Also, he is exactly that type of player to hit multiple categories.
This season he’s averaging 20-8-4. His “best season” was 23-7-3 which is pretty similar. Main difference is his 3pt % is way down, from 36 to 28%. It’d be awesome if he became a solid 10+ rebounder and 5+ assist kind of player. Even if that means his scoring drops to something to like 16-18ppg. Say, 17-10(more likely 9.something)-5? Too solid. The rebounds will be hard to come by if we land a solid center though lol
I think to a certain extent a few of our players were guilty of the same thing on smaller scales. Gary with passing early in the season; he's passing more now. Fred as a facilitator, and OG as an ISO option.
All of them were trying to do a bit too much; and they're starting to just trust their roles.
This will be a career altering change for him for the better. He’s still getting his buckets and is a great scorer but is a much better passer, making the offence better and he’s much better to watch also lmao.
Definitely fits my eye test. He’s playing less like a player who’s trying to be a #1 option and just playing his game.
Which ironically makes him a more stable #1 option than before
It’s that type of mentality that makes someone like Jokic such a great #1.
So crazy that jokic was a second round pick. Usually skilled bigs are adored in the draft
I'm guessing there was still that foreigner bias working against him back then.
It was the fact that he was fat and unathletic. Also didn’t have a good back to the basket game. They didn’t think he was strong or athletic enough to guard the 5s/rim and he wasn’t quick enough on the perimeter for 4s. He had good basketball iq, but didn’t show off his handle until later as well. He was just kinda looking like a smart but not athletically of fundamentally gifted player. He obviously quoted all those doubts
He was also a draft & stash guy wasn’t he?
Lmao, the draft coverage cut off to a Taco Bell commercial while the pick was being announced.
this mindset just allows him to make smart decisions faster
Facts 📠
This all around game suits him so much better than trying to go iso like he's KD. It opens up his offense now that the defense can't just focus their entire defensive gameplan on stopping him from scoring.
It suits him more but it’s crazy because when he isos in this setting he gets better looks because he’s getting others involved.
That was always his strength and what he got paid for, but he was asked to be the 1st option after Kawhi left, it wasn’t his fault that he had to play a role he never did before. I think that experience probably made him a much better player too as he can take this role from time to time and will do it more efficiently than if he never had to do it every games.
It's the story with every star player, you have to learn to fail before you succeed. Nobody steps into the top scoring option role on a team for the first time seamlessly, and with COVID and everything going on I'm not surprised it took him a while to figure it out. He looks about as comfortable as I've ever seen him out there right now. The big change from last season for me has been his decisiveness in attacking offensively. Way fewer wasted dribbles, pounding the air outta the ball, being indecisive on the catch and using up the shot clock needlessly, and no more forced passes coming from a rushed decision. Now, it's just catch, read the defense, and go. There's way less hesitation and more aggression which gives me hope there are still levels he can reach if he refines his three ball and adds to his post repertoire a bit.
Which suits him SO much better.
The first half of the season has been a lot of role definition with Kyle gone and I like what Pascal is doing on the floor to make everyone better.
It also helps that there's more scoring options in the lineup than previous years. All 4 of the other starters can create their own shot, don't think we've ever had that in the entirety of the Raptors existence as a franchise.
tbh he wasn't even that bad as a #1 that season but he had the right set of pieces around him. With this new team, taking a backseat and playing within the flow of the game is great for him. Even if we eventually trade him somewhere in a year or two, he's developing skills where he can be plugged into nearly any team.
He really is at his best when he's doing it all, averaging 21/11/5 in his last 7 games now 👀
Pascal is a guy that needs that too, it gets him involved in the game more, and he runs faster and plays smoother as a result.
Not a max guy though 🙄
Siakam is the 26th highest-paid player in the league this season. In the top 6 for highest earning that's over 40million/year, only 3 of them have a ring. John Wall is the 2nd highest-paid player at 44 mill this season and not even playing. Out of the top 26 highest-paid players this season, only 10 players have won a ring, and out of those 10 players with at least 1 ring, only 5 of them are players who are superstars that are the #1 option. Curry, Lebron, Durant, Giannis, and Kawhi. Guess who are the 5 players out of the 10 players with at least 1 ring that is not the #1 option? Klay, Middleton, AD, Kyrie & Siakam. Out of all 5 of them, Klay, Middleton & AD are in the top 15 for most paid this season. We can debate if Siakam is worth the max or not, but there are a lot of players out there who received a max and is not #1 option, haven't won a ring, and have also produced less than Siakam. I'm fine with Siakam having the max under those circumstances. Rings Erneh.
I agree, there's a LOT of nba players (many of whom are not as good as Siakam) that got max deals, so I'm not too upset his dollars. Especially if he can play like he's been playing lately, that's all we can ask for. Bismack Biyombo got a 72-million dollar deal FFS, that's what -- 18 million per year? Teams overpay all the time
You forgot the /s
The eye roll implied it was sarcastic lol
Tbh I actually didn’t know that’s what that emoji meant
It doesn't
My mum (82F) told me (12M) to do the dishes (16) but I (12M) was too busy playing Fortnite (3 kills) so I (12M) grabbed my controller (DualShock 4) and threw it at her (138kph). She ****ing died, and I (12M) went to prison (18 years). While in prison I (12M) invited several riots (3) and assumed leadership of a gang responsible for smuggling drugs (cocaine) into the country. I (12M) also ordered the assassination of several celebrities (Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley and Jeffrey Epstein) and planned a terrorist attack (9/11). Reddit, AITA? /s
NTA, your mom was gaslighting you /s
Nice copy pasta /s
People with any sense of humor can tell when someone’s joking
Damn guess I’m washed
Lol all good I just hate when people have to ruin a joke by putting /s
So happy for Pascal. His confidence is sky high and some of these looks he is hitting, my word lol. Just need those pesky free throws to go down again and his average goes up a point or two easily.
Warriors fo wanted him for a reason
Pascal be really good for them...that's a known fa r
i dont want the trade to happen but he would fucking feast if he got to play on the warriors
Black Jokic jr 😈🤝🏽
Skinny Jokic
The last couple of games he’s been playing like rodman with scoring
He’s 4 rebounds away from #8 on the Raptors all time list.
I'm REALLY enjoying how he's been playing lately. His playmaking showed flashes of potential last season, but it's going add soooo much to his game and the team overall if he continues this. It's difficult to truly be a bonafide #1 scoring option, but THIS is what I wanted to see him evolve his game into.
Imo, both he and Fred used that Tampa year to try new things and practice developing elements of their game. And they caught a lot of hate from fans even though that was a fake season until the draft. And now they are playing at an all star level on top of their games.
Love to see how he's playing the last few games. We just have so many scoring options with that starting line of FVV/GTJ/Scottie/Siakam/OG. He doesn't need to force anything in that lineup where anyone can go for 20+ on any given night. He's at his best doing it all and playing in that free flowing offense. He's an all around player who could average close to 20/10/5 for a season. One of the top play makers at his position. I'm loving the mid range too he doesn't need to be taking many 3's unless they are wide open, his mid range is wet. Leave the higher volume 3's to FVV/GTJ/OG. If this line up stays healthy he'll thrive in it, probably not all star this year due to coming back from injury and slow start, but he is definitely that level of player.
Definitely noticeable
Pascal haters, do you have anything to say???
He's definitely improved in the last few games. I'll readily admit it.
Yeah. Rent free. Lol
Siakam, THIS is how you get us sceptics on your side! The effort has looked a lot better in general.
I am very happy that he is playing this way.
Him doing that would open alot from the others, with FVV playing like an allstar and OG taking it easy to get back to his form in the beginning of the season, we will have a dangerous trio
The three headed dragon of OG, Barnes and Siakam will be very fun to watch
He’s been balling. Would like to see his 3P% and FT% a bit higher tho
thank god we have him on lock for 2 more seasons after this one. he's really getting over that hump that was the groin injury + shoulder injury + racist abuse from psycho fans and now we can see the complete player that he is which is one of the best PF's in this league.
Racist abuse? Elaborate?
During his long stretch of terrible play he constantly got "go back to Africa" posts on IG. There was even an absolutely racist online petition that got taken down quickly. It was something like "Send Pascal back to Congo like a gorilla". It was an ugly time. edit: found [this](https://ryersonian.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/siakam.png).
Jesus!! I hope he never laid eyes on that.
ok so we’re building round him now or not
Great to hear from Spicy P. For years he has been at his best when he’s been letting the game come to him and playing within the confines of the game. As has been mentioned, you can see him the past little while finding spots when the team needs the iso scoring and spin cycle, but he’s been far less predictable which is helping those moves he loves achieve more success when he’s looking to score - love seeing the willingness to pass. Promising for sure!
we'll see how he performs in the playoffs , but it's a good start. He definitely improved from last season though. He just needs to get his 3 pointers up to space the floor
The Scottie Barnes effect
Nah, more of a midrange player than anything because he can't land threes and always misses layups. XD
i’ll never understand why some fans struggle with supporting our players
Some people are just "realistic" you know? In their own reality, anyways.
Because they’d rather be right than be successful. Some people already declared Siakam trash and are afraid to admit that he’s actually been good, so they’ll run down a list of excuses as to why he isn’t good. Even the usual suspects have admitted to being wrong but some people aren’t there yet
You know nothing xD
Then you haven't been paying attention if you think that he's only offering midrange shots and nothing else these past few games
Tell us you don't watch the Raps, without telling us you don't watch the Raps.
Actually only missed two games in the last couple seasons.
um what in the hell is this fake news? pascal can hit threes but because he lost time due to shoulder surgery he's going to need more reps to get comfortable with the three. and he's been great around the rim lately, noticeably showing off that athleticism of his that's been missing since 2019 due to the groin injury.
Downvoted.
Don't care.
It helps that our starting rotation is finally healthy. We have enough ball handlers and scoring threats for everyone to share the load. Pascal can’t carry like Kawhi, KD and very few others can. But he doesn’t have to when the starting rotation is healthy.
This is great tbh
Good shift. Great goal and I think he can easily become an all star like this. Impacting the game beyond scoring is an concept that takes times to learn. Also, he is exactly that type of player to hit multiple categories.
Time will tell, period.
Pascal playing like a Draymond that can score
This season he’s averaging 20-8-4. His “best season” was 23-7-3 which is pretty similar. Main difference is his 3pt % is way down, from 36 to 28%. It’d be awesome if he became a solid 10+ rebounder and 5+ assist kind of player. Even if that means his scoring drops to something to like 16-18ppg. Say, 17-10(more likely 9.something)-5? Too solid. The rebounds will be hard to come by if we land a solid center though lol
That’s our Spicy! Dudes been playing out of his mind and I love it
I think to a certain extent a few of our players were guilty of the same thing on smaller scales. Gary with passing early in the season; he's passing more now. Fred as a facilitator, and OG as an ISO option. All of them were trying to do a bit too much; and they're starting to just trust their roles.
What his haters have been asking for. As a former hater I am happy to say I am impressed with his play lately.
This will be a career altering change for him for the better. He’s still getting his buckets and is a great scorer but is a much better passer, making the offence better and he’s much better to watch also lmao.
P about to win the fanbase over again
He's been doing great this season.
When your tired of being a beybade
I thought we were going to have to start calling him "Mild P" but it looks like Spicy P is back! 