Raptors: 3 players who need to step up with Pascal Siakam out
By Mike Luciano
The Toronto Raptors have been overcoming long odds all season long, and the latest news surrounding star big man Pascal Siakam has only made proceedings in a crowded Eastern Conference even more difficult.
Siakam, in addition to head coach Nick Nurse and five Raptors assistants, missed Toronto’s win against the Houston Rockets last night. While the Raptors were able to pull out a victory against a sliding Rockets team, the latest bombshell could throw a wrench into everything.
Siakam will be in the league’s Health and Safety protocol through the All-Star break, which means he will be out for the next three games. In an Eastern Conference in which the No. 4 seed and No. 10 seed in the East are separated by just one game, losing him could be extremely risky for the Raptors.
Siakam is averaging 20.1 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game in yet another excellent season. Without Siakam for a pivotal stretch, these three Raptors have to play better if Toronto is to stay in the top half of the East.
Toronto Raptors star Pascal Siakam is expected to remain in the league’s Health and Safety protocol through the All-Star break, missing the final three games of the first half, sources tell ESPN. Siakam sat out Friday’s victory over Houston in the protocol.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 27, 2021
These 3 Raptors need to play better without Pascal Siakam
No. 3: Aron Baynes
One of the main reasons Toronto has turned things around of late is the fact that Siakam has been playing center of late, as Baynes’ poor offensive production forced Nick Nurse to demote the Australian big man to the bench. Baynes has played better off the bench than he did as a starter, but he could be in line for tons of playing time in the next week.
Baynes is averaging just 5.9 points per game, which is a much lower rate than what he put up in Phoenix. Baynes is shooting 42% from the field and 23% from three. Baynes’ offense, which was so bad he was banished to the bench, will come into focus now that Toronto can’t get 20 easy points out of Siakam.
Raptors big Aron Baynes will need to replace Pascal Siakam’s offense
No one is expecting Baynes to score 20 per game as Siakam did, nor are they expecting him to handle the ball and shoot at the same efficient rate that Siakam does. What he can do, however, is work on finishing when he rolls to the basket, as doing so could change the outlook of the Raptors’ offense.
Baynes might as well be 6-0 if he sits around the 3-point line and chuck some ill-advised shots. With his size and physicality, Baynes could give the Raptors’ offense some extra teeth on the interior. Without Siakam to bail him out, the pressure will be on Baynes to prove his worth on offense.