Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse showed All-Star forward Pascal Siakam tough love after another lackluster performance in Game 5.
However, Nurse gave an impassioned endorsement of his star's abilities with Toronto's season on the line on Wednesday against the Boston Celtics.
Nurse stated Siakam has overcome all his doubters en route to becoming one of the top players in the league. The 2019-20 NBA Coach of the Year also suggested the Raptors' top scorer has had a harder time coming back from the long hiatus than other stars:
“He did it all year long,” Nurse said, via Josh Lewenberg of TSN. “Then the pandemic hit & the break has not treated him as well as maybe everybody else… So we've gotta get one for him so he can give himself an opportunity to show who he is, again, for the umpteenth time”
Indeed, Siakam has had a fairly meteoric rise to stardom with the Raptors. He averaged under 20 minutes per game during his rookie year and put up just 7.3 points per game in his sophomore season.
Nonetheless, the Cameroonian forward broke through last year, averaging 16.9 points per game and shooting 36.9 percent from the 3-point line on his way to winning the Most Improved Player Award.
The 26-year-old upped his numbers further during the 2019-20 regular season, averaging 22.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists. However, his success has not carried over to the “bubble” in Orlando for the Raptors.
Siakam averaged 20.8 points in Toronto's first-round sweep of the Brooklyn Nets, but he shot a mediocre 41.7 percent from the field.
Things have been far worse during the Celtics series, as Siakam has dealt with foul trouble and came into Wednesday's game averaging just 15.8 points on 40.5 percent shooting.
Nick Nurse hopes Pascal Siakam can be a difference-maker despite his recent struggles.
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