Pascal Siakam has been a non-factor from parts of the perimeter during the last four games, as the Golden State Warriors have consistently been content to leave him open from the corners.
Siakam went off for a playoff-high 32 points in Game 1, burying two of his three treys, but since then, he has gone a foul 0-for-12 from deep, including 0-for-10 from his preferred corners:
Pascal Siakam is 0-12 from 3 over the last four games including 0-10 from the corners.
Nearest defender:
0-2 feet: 0-0
2-4 feet: 0-0
4-6 feet: 0-1
6+ feet: 0-11Warriors are leaving him wide open and he's not made them pay for it even a little bit. pic.twitter.com/q5DqBBvxqi
— Micah Adams (@MicahAdams13) June 11, 2019
Siakam has been effective getting to the basket, ensnaring rebounds and getting to the foul line, but his perimeter game has faded over the course of this series, something that was abundantly evident in Monday's Game 5 loss, as his four 3-point misses contributed to an 8-of-32 3-point shooting night for the Raptors and a 106-105 loss at home.
The Cameroonian will have to keep taking these shots, just based out of the respect factor, but when pressured, he is much better off pump faking or driving the ball into a more comfortable distance.
Siakam showed a much-improved shotmaking ability this season, shooting a respectable 36.9% from 3 in 2018-19, but his postseason average stands at a measly 26.5%, a chance the Warriors have been willing to take throughout this series (2-of-15 from deep).
The Raptors are a much better team when they push the pace and use Siakam's length and pace to dictate the tempo, flourishing in fast-break opportunities and in transition opportunities locating open shooters.
Only one win away from an NBA title, the Raptors will be better with Pascal Siakam playing to his strengths down the stretch, rather than building a house of bricks on the perimeter.
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