Pascal Siakam has been insane to start the season thus far for the Toronto Raptors, powering them to a solid 3-2 start with two impressive wins over the Miami Heat and their latest triumph over the Philadelphia 76ers, a 119-109 win at home.
In his latest effort against the Sixers, Siakam posted 20 points, five rebounds, and 13 assists, filling the stat sheet yet again, boosting his averages to 25.2 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 8.0 assists to go along with 1.2 steals per game on 46.9 percent shooting from the field.
During the game, Pascal Siakam had a bit of a tussle with Sixers forward PJ Tucker, exchanging words amid the heated action on the court. And the giant chip on Siakam's shoulder was on the forefront once more as he jawed with the 6'5 small ball extraordinaire.
“Whenever I bet, I'm always going to take myself. Bet on yourself, like Freddy [VanVleet] says… I I put the work in and I'm never going to back down to anybody,” Siakam said, per Josh Lewenberg, Raptors beat reporter for TSN.
Pascal Siakam alluded to the “Bet On Yourself” tweet Fred VanVleet posted back in 2018, two years before he signed a huge, four-year $85 million contract extension before the 2020-21 season. The Raptors core is comprised of players who have emerged as top-tier talents despite being overlooked, perhaps with the exception of 2021 fourth overall pick Scottie Barnes.
Nonetheless, Siakam asserts that there was no malice behind his war of words with Tucker and that the two were merely playing their backsides off, trying to gain an upper hand on their opponents.
“Just friendly competition, that's all. Nothing there,” Siakam added.
Siakam is right in putting such immense belief in himself. After playing a bit role off the Raptors bench during the first two seasons of his career, the 28-year old Cameroon international exploded in the 2018-19 season, emerging as a star alongside Kawhi Leonard during their run to the NBA championship.
And Siakam has just improved ever since, upping his playmaking numbers from season to season. After a third-team All-NBA selection last season, it's not a stretch to think that the seven-year forward out of New Mexico State is only getting better.
The Raptors are set to face the Sixers in a rematch of tonight's matchup on Friday night, and the Sixers will be highly motivated to get one back on the division rivals they eliminated in last year's postseason. However, if Pascal Siakam continues to play like he did and the Raptors starting lineup continues to contribute in meaningful ways, the Raptors will be tough to defeat.
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