Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam had been named as one of the final nominees for this year's Most Improved Player award. He admits he hardly looked the part in their embarrassing loss in Game 2.
The Milwaukee Bucks made quite a statement with their dominant win over the Raptors. According to Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports, he feels he did not show he was deserving of the award.
“It didn't look like it tonight.”
Siakam added that he must make better decisions moving forward.
“I've gotta be more aggressive, I've gotta do a better job, I've gotta be better.”
“I've gotta be smarter. There's a couple fouls I just can't have. It's part of growing. It's good to see that at the biggest stage you can't make mistakes. I'm gonna continue to learn, get better, watch film and make sure I'm better next game.”
There is certainly plenty of truth to Siakam's comments. He had been pegged as one of the favorites to win this year's award following a breakout season. Unfortunately, he has not been able to solidify that notion as of late.
Siakam had been bottled up in Game 1 as he struggled to find a rhythm after scoring just 15 points on 6-of-20 shooting. Rather than attempt to shoot himself out of the slump, he opted to take a passive role on offense. As a result, he finished Game 2 with only eight points on nine shots. His struggles have raised further concern about the state of the Raptors supporting cast around forward Kawhi Leonard.
Leonard has made it clear that Toronto has a chance to overcome adversity in Game 3. It is safe to say that he will be relying heavily on Siakam to help shoulder the load. Otherwise, the MIP may be the only trophy he takes home this season.
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