A good teammate is a loyal one. The 2023 NBA All-Star players have been announced, and among the notable omissions was Pascal Siakam of the Toronto Raptors. His teammate and point guard Fred VanVleet did not wast time voicing his displeasure over the surprising snub.

VanVleet Quote Tweeted a fan account's reasoning for why Siakam belonged among the Eastern Conference's 12 best talents- first player with 25-plus points, eight-plus rebounds and six-plus assists to not be selected for an NBA All-Star Game. VanVleet's facepalming emoji perfectly encapsulated the feelings of that fan and all of Raptors Nation. It has been tough sledding for Toronto this season (23-30, 12th in East), but Siakam has done his best to keep the team in the playoff conversation.

Siakam (24.9 ppg, but was over 25 at time of All-Star voting) has seen his three-point shooting percentage fall to 31 percent, three points down from last year's and lower than his career average of 33. However, he has picked up the slack nearly everywhere else, continuing to blossom as a primary scoring threat. Siakam has been an absolute workhorse for the Raptors, logging 37.7 minutes per game to lead the league (VanVleet is third).

Julius Randle might feel like a flashier pick given the surprise success of the New York Knicks, but it is certainly debatable if he has been the more impactful power forward of the two. Furthermore, Jalen Brunson has been just as responsible, if not more, for the Knicks' current seventh-place standing. Toronto's second option VanVleet is shooting below 40 percent from the floor and a career-low 34 percent from distance. Siakam has had to carry a bigger load than both he and Toronto probably expected.

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VanVleet knows full well the value of Pascal Siakam and is not going to let his absence in Salt Lake City go unnoticed. The Raptors could be headed for a fire sale in the coming weeks, so fans probably wanted their guy to be formally acknowledged as an NBA All-Star one more time before he is potentially shipped elsewhere.

The team will hope Siakam can use his snub as fuel, as any motivation is welcomed during this next crucial slate of games.