Toronto Raptors small forward Pascal Siakam was the 27th overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. He averaged 4.2 and 7.3 points per game in his first two seasons in the NBA, so naturally, no one really saw star potential in him.
That all changed last season when the Raptors won their first-ever championship over the Golden State Warriors. Siakam got to showcase his skills on the NBA's brightest stage and he hasn't looked back.
After signing a lucrative contract extension with the Raptors before this season started, Siakam knew he was going to have to take his game to another level since Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green were gone. Not only has the talented youngster become an All-Star, but he's also leading the Raptors to wins in a season where most pundits thought Toronto would be a lower seed playoff team.
Instead, the Raptors are in second place in the Eastern Conference and Siakam is one of the main reasons why:
“This is what I envisioned for myself. I always thought it (All-Star team) was possible,” Siakam told USA TODAY Sports. “If you’re not trying to be the best then why are you there? It doesn’t matter where you get drafted. I always believed that I could be better than I was. I knew I had to work harder than everybody else not only because I started basketball late but also because I felt like I wasn’t where I was supposed to be.”
Siakam is averaging 23.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists on the season. He's shooting 45.8 percent from the field, 36.2 percent from beyond the arc and 80.2 percent from the free-throw line.
The Raptors are 40-15 on the season. Siakam would probably be higher in the MVP rankings had he not gotten injured and missed a bunch of games.
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