Pascal Siakam has been less than spicy for the Toronto Raptors recently. Where has the sizzle been, and how can it come back for a Raptors team that could use the boost with a Final trip at stake?
The Toronto Raptors are one win away from reaching the NBA Finals. They did what they needed to do and stole a game on the road in Game 5, giving them a 3-2 series lead. Even though the Raptors have been playing fairly well, third-year standout Pascal Siakam has gone through some struggles, particularly offensively, so far this postseason.
Spicy P hasn’t given the usual kick of flavor in these recent stretch of games for Toronto. He has been hit with difficult matchups, making him passive at times. He’s also been inconsistent shooting the ball from deep, still a noticeable weakness in his game.
The Raptors could use a more aggressive and consistent Siakam on offense. If he can get back to his regular season form, it could help get the Raptors to clinch the series in Game 6. With so much on the line in this series, more is needed of Spicy P.
Inconsistent Flavor
Pascal Siakam has been less than spicy in recent games. Dating back to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, Siakam has shot 39 percent from the field, a far cry from his 48 percent shooting in the 11 games before.
The decrease in shooting percentage has resulted in him scoring fewer points. He’s averaged a dismal 13.3 points per game since that Game 7, far below his postseason average of 19 a contest. The point drop-off has been felt be the Raptors, who need every point possible in this critical series.
Part of this drop in production is undoubtedly due to the difficult matchups he’s faced as of late.
Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers and Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks have been the defenders Siakam has seen the most in this six-game stretch.
Embiid finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting last season. The Greek Freak was a first team all-defense selection and a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year this season.
Both players top-end defense and immense physical toolset have made it hard for Pascal to get to his spots.
The defensive matchup has resulted in Siakam being more passive. Against the Bucks, he took nine shots in Game 2 and six shots in Game 4.
Early in the postseason, he was looked to as the second option behind Kawhi Leonard. His lack of aggression is forcing the issue on Kawhi offensively.
Siakam’s shooting from three-point range has been off as well. He has only made six threes in the last six games. In three of those six games, he didn’t make a single shot from beyond the arc. When the three ball hits, it provides Siakam more opportunities to attack the basket, which is his bread and butter.
It’s been tough for Siakam to find success in recent games. But there have been glimpses of hope that point towards him hopefully getting back on track in the latter part of the series.
Return of the Sizzle
Despite his recent struggles, Siakam should be feeling good going into a series-clinching Game 6. The momentum has swung in the Toronto Raptors favor and the play of his teammates are sure to give him some daylight on offense.
The play of the bench mob and others will definitely help Siakam get his game going. With Norman Powell, Marc Gasol, Kyle Lowry, and even Fred VanVleet providing solid offensive contributions, the Bucks defense will more attention to these players. Siakam should see more daylight because of this.
Toronto has also been shooting better from the perimeter of late. The Bucks will have to respect their three-point game and play them from further out, as a result, Siakam will have more room to operate inside.
With space, Siakam has shown that he can still get the advantage when guarded by Giannis. He just needs to be selective picking his spots and not force the issue.
The use of the pick roll to force mismatches should be something considered as well. The Bucks do have length, but they all aren’t the Greek Freak. Siakam should feel more than comfortable facing off against Malcolm Brogdon or Eric Bledsoe after a switch.
Return to Form
Siakam has played like a shell of himself offensively, and the Toronto Raptors have felt the effects. He was one of their more consistent players early in the postseason but is now in a bit of a playoff funk.
Nevertheless, Siakam has the chance to get back on track thanks to his teammates play. The attention some of the other Raptors will get should give Siakam some breathing room.
He’s shown that the spice is still there, it just needs to come out more consistently. Siakam has stepped up to moment many times this season. If he does it one more time, it could mean a trip to the NBA Finals.