Newsletter

The weight of Pascal Siakam as a superstar and the decline of the Toronto Raptors attack

Second NBA CourtOptix, Pascal Siakam is doubled by the rival defense in 12.6 possessions, which puts him right between LeBron James and Damian Lillard. All that attention is a byproduct of Siakam’s progress. With glimpses of taking the next step, going from All-Star to proven superstar.

Siakam was putting up spectacular numbers in his first nine games, averaging 24.8 points, 9.3 rebounds and 7.7 assists. But a right adductor strain halted his incredible start and the Raptors haven’t been the same since.

Let’s be real: when a team loses its best player, there will be a drop. Take Stephen Curry off the Warriors or Giannis Antetokounmpo off the Bucks and the team will go from looking like a championship contender to looking more like a Lottery team.

In any Raptors game you can see the huge void that Siakam’s loss has left. And the numbers support what the eyes see. Through the first nine games of the season, with a healthy Siakam, Toronto had a 115.6 offensive rating. In matches since then, the rating cae a 109.8. That’s the difference between an offense that ranks in the top five in the NBA and one that ranks 22nd.

Don’t miss the Hawks-Raptors of NBA Saturdays this Saturday November 20 in Vamos y NBA League Pass

The stars grab the spotlight. And now that Siakam is no longer the focus of the Raptors, the light is firmly illuminating the shadows that no team wants to show.

Toronto has struggled to get open shots that were coming with Siakam on the floor and can’t get into a rhythm on set attacks. The Raptors are averaging just 89.7 points per 100 possessions at half court.which ranks them 29th in the league ahead of only the Rockets.

can’t be underestimated how much it meant to the Raptors’ offense when Siakam was doing simple plays how is:

Attracting such attention is what makes Toronto’s offense tend to finish in the top five in offensive rating.

nba-plain--c861547b-3be8-4df8-ad31-0b0318c06e39.jpeg?itok=96Modpc8 1x" media="all and (min-width: 1025px)" type="image/jpeg"/>nba-plain--c861547b-3be8-4df8-ad31-0b0318c06e39.jpeg?itok=FXPuFUhC 1x, https://library.sportingnews.com/styles/crop_style_16_9_tablet_2x/s3/2022-11/nba-plain--c861547b-3be8-4df8-ad31-0b0318c06e39.jpeg?itok=GxjnHnKH 2x" media="all and (min-width: 769px) and (max-width: 1024px)" type="image/jpeg"/>nba-plain--c861547b-3be8-4df8-ad31-0b0318c06e39.jpeg?itok=FMqNeH0k 1x, https://library.sportingnews.com/styles/crop_style_16_9_mobile_2x/s3/2022-11/nba-plain--c861547b-3be8-4df8-ad31-0b0318c06e39.jpeg?itok=h-nf0akJ 2x" media="all and (max-width: 768px)" type="image/jpeg"/>

The good news for the Raptors? This gives players like AND Anunoby y Scottie Barnes the space to try to recreate that gravity that Siakam brought to the table.

If one of those two youngsters is able to replicate even a fraction of what Siakam can do with his playmaking, Toronto will be better not only throughout the seasonbut when it matters most: in the Playoffs.

How to watch the NBA Saturdays between Atlanta Hawks and Toronto Raptors?

  • Day: Saturday November 20.
  • Hour: 00:00 from Spain (16:00 CMDX, 18:00 ET, 22:00 AR)
  • Estadio: State Farm Arena, Atlanta.
  • TV channel: Come on (Spain).
  • Streaming: Movistar + (Spain), NBA League Pass

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Trending