Toronto Raptors: Pascal Siakam’s All-Star chances compared to competition

Current place in voting: 10th in the frontcourt (199,474 votes)

Now in his 12th season, nine of which were spent with the Atlanta Hawks, Al Horford has garnered five inclusions into the All-Star game.

Of his four prior to last season, each was paired in consecutive years, does the trend continue this year?

The case for Horford over Siakam:

First things first, Horford will likely accumulate more fan voting when the process concludes.

As a primary figure in the Boston Celtics starting lineup, when healthy, Horford will rack up the votes from avid Boston sports fans, much the way Kyrie Irving has (1st in backcourt voting). But, his votes are unlikely to overcome fellow starters’ numbers.

When looking at the numbers they’ve registered this year, Horford overtakes Siakam on only the defensive end of the court. Though they are similar, Horford beats out his foe from north of the border.

In defensive win shares, Horford trails Siakam 1.7-2.0, but the caveat of missed games comes into play. Due to injury, Horford has played in 10 fewer games to this point than his counterpart.

Per game, Horford has racked up more win shares on the defensive end than Siakam, with the total serving as a misnomer. In steals and blocks, Horford’s per game tallies also reign supreme at 2.1 combined, just a shade higher than Siakam’s 1.7.

As far as non-statistical data is concerned, Horford has the edge as well.

In recent years, several veteran players have earned nods for an All-Star appearance, even when their stats may have lacked.

Players such as Kobe Bryant in his career twilight, Tim Duncan in 2011 and Allen Iverson in 2010 were all voted in despite lackluster seasons.

The case against Horford over Siakam:

Making a case for Siakam over Horford in the All-Star game comes with a minimal burden.

On the year, Siakam has played in more games, racked up greater numbers is scoring, rebounding and efficiency, all while being a key contributor on the league’s winningest team.

In impact towards team success, Siakam aids his case as well with his 5.3 win shares mark sitting second on the team and in the top-20 of the league. His mark is tied with fan favorite Ben Simmons and resides over several prominent players such as Blake Griffin and Kemba Walker.

As far as highlight plays go, Siakam excels there as well:

Though Horford has the more popular name, Siakam has made revelations for a Raptors’ team led by a pair of silent stars in Kyle Lowry and Kawhi Leonard.

The 24-year-old forward has seen momentous leaps in his play from last year with added playing time, cementing his name into Most Improved Player talks from the foreseeable future.

While Williams did not benefit from being in the Sixth Man of the Year conversation last year prior to his All-Star snub, the fact the Siakam is drawing national attention for his efforts could be a catalyst.

If coaches take their efforts towards analyzing a players’ true impact through the lens they use on a daily basis, Siakam is the easy bid.