The Toronto Raptors are doing all they can to convince Kawhi Leonard to stay in Toronto when free agency comes calling. They have played well as a team, having the best record in the NBA right now at 23 wins and only seven defeats.
Futhermore, Kawhi's supporting cast has been good even without him. As the season has gone on, the Raptors have had different players step up, but one guy that has stood out the most has been Pascal Siakam.
The third-year forward has stepped into the starting lineup and done some great things. If anyone has been watching him play this season, he is not only giving Kawhi Leonard another reason to stay in Toronto, but he's also making a play for the NBA's Most Improved Player.
Entering this season, no one knew what to expect from Siakam. As things stand now, Siakam in on pace to double his scoring average from last season (his average has gone from 7.3 points per game last season to 14.5 points per game since).
What he is doing a lot to get that scoring up is pushing the basketball. Pascal Siakam is listed as a power forward, but he is a guy who can play the three and and the four because of his ball-handling skills. He continues to put pressure on defenses with his speed from end to end. Because of that expansion of his game, he is often getting shots at the rim, which explains his shooting percentage being over 61% from the field, which is up over 10% from last season.
Along with him pushing the basketball, he seems to be shooting the ball with more confidence this season. In the past, he would shoot the basketball, but there just wasn't that feeling of confidence he would make it. Going into this season, he has not necessarily shot it more from three-point range, but he has become more of a culpable threat. Just to give you an idea, he has 35.7% from three-point range this season and has had at least four games where he has made two or more three-pointers in thirty games. Last season, he only had seven games where he made two or more three-pointers during the regular season. His improvement in that area of his game now opens things up for the Raptors and also does not allow teams to double off him without the thought of being read by someone else.
Siakam has been good on the offensive end, but he also does some things on the defensive end. With Siakam out there defensively, one thing he does is create a tougher defense for the Raptors. While Kawhi is an excellent defender, he is not the only perimeter defender the Raptors can count on. Siakam is big enough to take on post players and he is talented enough to take on wing players and points guards too.
The versatility he offers the Raptors allows Toronto to give Kawhi a break on the defensive end. Along with his versatility, Pascal Siakam always finds a way to make some things happen on the defensive end. Whether it be a steal or just a great defensive play, he is very active defensively and always seems to be involved and engaged.
The Raptors are humming right along and Siakam is a huge part of it. And as the season goes on and if he continues this level of play along with the Raptors continuing to have success, the decision whether to leave or go will be harder to make for Kawhi Leonard. With either decision that's made by Leonard though, one thing cannot be denied: Siakam has taken his game to the next level.
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