Under The Radar: The Rise of Pascal Siakam
How Toronto’s Starting Power Forward Improved and Overcame the Odds Against Him.
A week ago, on November of 12th, Pascal Siakam, the starting power forward for Toronto Raptors had won his first Player of the Week award, making it best individual accolade in his young career.
Toronto finished 3–1 in the week, with Pascal averaging 20.5 points per game on 70.7% shooting from the field and 41% from the three-point line.
After his career-high 23 points in the 128–112 win over the New York Knicks which put Toronto on 12–1 record on the season, Pascal said:
“Everyone is confident, everyone is working hard and just playing the game, it doesn’t matter what night it is, we just want to go out there and play.”
At 15, Siakam was already much taller than his peers and attended an annual basketball camp run by Luc Mbah a Moute on a whim because his friends were going. He didn’t know what he was doing on the court, but his physical gifts were unmistakable. The camp’s organizers started spreading the word, and at 16-year-old Siakam received an out-of-nowhere invitation to a Basketball Without Borders camp in South Africa. It was a last-minute thing — he almost didn’t go. But when he did, he caught more eyes, and an opportunity presented itself to go to a Lewisville, Texas prep school called God’s Academy and play basketball.
God’s Academy was a challenge, it was Siakam’s first time in North America, his first experience with anything but the rigid discipline of the seminary. The basketball was tougher, too. No longer could he get by on his natural athleticism. At prep school, everyone was tall, everyone was athletic, and everyone was more skilled. Siakam had to work harder.
He could jump, but his skills weren’t particularly impressive, which is to be expected of a guy who’d first picked up a basketball two years earlier. But the one thing Siakam had that no one else did, the ultimate separator he still carries today, was that drive. A willingness to chase every ball, to jump for every rebound, to go for things harder than the other guy.
When the staff of the New Mexico State Aggies scouted Siakam — first on the video shot in Cameroon, then in person at God’s Academy — it was unmistakable. “The skillset wasn’t great,” says former New Mexico State head coach Marvin Menzies. “But the motor was fantastic. He had this innate, natural thing that sometimes you can’t coach. When he first landed in Texas, he brought that with him. And he’s just never lost it.”
In 2 seasons at New Mexico State Siakam averaged 16.6 points per game on 55% shooting from the field and grabbed 9.7 rebounds per game.
Siakam leaned towards turning pro after his sophomore season but went to the NBA combine still on the fence. Ultimately, he took the dive, despite having no idea whether he’d even be chosen. Siakam had no idea if he’d be picked until about 30 seconds prior to it happening when he caught his agent trying to inconspicuously alert his brothers to the impending selection. Then, with the 27th pick, Adam Silver read his name.
For the first 2 seasons with Toronto Raptors, Siakam has averaged 6.0 points per game while starting only 43 games and playing 18 minutes per game. Earlier in his rookie season, Pascal has lost his starting position due to the mediocre performances on the field and was ultimately moved into the Toronto’s G-League team Raptors 905.
“My rookie year, I was so scared and wanted to fit in so much, to the point where I forgot about my game and what I can do. But now, I’m feeling like, why stay in your lane?“
Siakam’s raw statistical numbers hardly took a leap in his sophomore year, through a variety of advanced stats agreed that the plateauing of his raw numbers didn’t speak to the significant improvement he made in his ability to win on the court. Siakam’s contributions to winning will improve even more this year, as his impressive summer carries into the NBA season.
“My jaw hit the floor watching Pascal Siakam… He blew me away… I’d heard from some scouts: ‘Guys, he’s out there playing like Draymond Green.’ He’s out there picking balls off the rim, taking them all the way up the court and going all the way to the rim. And I’m telling you he went at Anthony Davis several times and scored on him.”
Brian Windhorst wrote on ESPN.com after Pascal’s 21 points, 11 rebound game vs New Orleans Pelicans in the preseason.
This season, Pascal is averaging 14.3 points per game on 63.3% shooting from the field while recording the career highs in points, rebounds, assists, and steals per game. Most important, Pascal has started 16 out of 17 games this season and forms a lethal two-way duo with Kawhi Leonard.
Toronto has the 5th best defense in the NBA, allowing 105 points per 100 possessions and are currently 13–4 on the season, the best record in the league. Out of the Toronto’s five best defensive lineups, Pascal is included in 4 of them. And especially interesting is that one that consists of Lowry-Ibaka-Leonard-Green-Siakam, where Pascal’s length and weight put on during the rough and hard-working offseason allows him to play the center. That lineup has outscored the opponents more than 20 points per 100 possesions in the 154 minutes played together.
Siakam has some ground still to cover. In addition to the still-developing shooting, he needs to be a more varied decision maker in the open floor but as his the time passes, it becomes obvious that he is making more and more contributions to the best team in the Eastern Conference. With only 17 games played in the season, Siakam is ready to prove even more.
Credits for the Siakam’s story: (https://www.sportsnet.ca/basketball/nba/pascal-siakam-toronto-raptors-nba-career/)
