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

Current place in voting: 5th in the frontcourt (569,354 votes)

At the beginning of the year, Jimmy Butler would’ve been in the conversation as Western Conference All-Star contenders. But, after a bout with the Timberwolves management, Butler finds himself on the Philadelphia 76ers, one of the main competitors the Raptors have to deal with in the East.

Despite rumblings of additional problems with the 76ers management of his skillset, Butler has continued to produce on his third squad in the last four years. Outside of name recognition, how do the two stack up?

The case for Butler over Siakam:

As previously mentioned, Butler has a decided edge in name recognition, already taking a significant lead over Siakam in fan voting, though coaches may see him differently.

In numbers, Butler is a similar producer to Siakam as largely the third option behind Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid on his own team.

Given his similar role, Butler has produced greater scoring numbers on the year, edging out Siakam with 19.6 points per game, an average of 19 to show for his time with the 76ers.

In his career, Butler has averaged over 20 points per game in four separate seasons, signaling his mark is likely to increase as the year goes on and he settles in with his new team.

On defense, Butler also racks up a pair of steals per night, doubling the nightly average of his counterpart.

In game-winning buckets, Butler also excels, only furthering his fan recognition:

https://twitter.com/espn/status/1066874107537559554

With four-straight nods into the festivities for Butler, a fifth is not out of the question.

The case against Butler over Siakam:

In fandom, both among coaches and fans, Siakam faces a likely uphill climb to bypass Butler before the All-Star voting ends. The forward from the north may have trouble doing it his entire career.

Where Siakam will make his case is in totals for the year.

Due to his drama in Minnesota, Butler missed a handful of games, with additional missed games coming by way of injury with the 76ers.

On the year, Butler has played nine fewer games than Siakam, with his rebounding, blocks and efficiency falling short of Siakam.

In advanced impact, Siakam has also accrued 2.1 more win shares on the year, with both his offensive and defensive contributions reigning supreme. All while maintaining a lower usage rate once again.

In the standings, Siakam also boasts a better case as the Raptors continue to lead the league in wins.