Nick Nurse and the Toronto Raptors have put together some very interesting performances in the preseason, but fans all across Canada are still crossing their fingers and hoping for any sort of Pascal Siakam injury update to grace their social media timelines given how important he is to the construction of this roster and their vision for the 2021-22 season.
Siakam is still recovering from a shoulder operation over the summer, and whole GM Bobby Webster claimed that Siakam is “in a good place” and “ready to go” after doing some non-contact work, fans were still left without a firm timeline of when exactly he would be able to the floor.
Luckily, in an interview on SiriusXM, Nurse not only claimed that Siakam is progressing nicely in his return from such a major operation, but he also hinted that it might not be too long before Raptors fans can see No. 43 make his return to the hardwood.
Nurse claimed that Siakam should be able to start contact drills this week, meaning that he should return to action sometime in the next few weeks. Nurse said Siakam has been “going 100%” without contact for about 4-6 weeks. Chris Boucher is only expected to be sidelined for about 10 more days thanks to his finger ailment.
Via Nick Nurse on @SiriusXMNBA, Pascal Siakam should start contact work this week and may only be a few weeks from a return.
— Blake Murphy (@BlakeMurphyODC) October 12, 2021
"He's been going 100% for 4-6 weeks" just without contact.
Chris Boucher is about 10 days away.
This Pascal Siakam injury update is good news for the Toronto Raptors.
Siakam might be surrounded by a new cast of characters this season, and holdovers like Fred VanVleet will be expected to step up, but there’s still a very good chance that he is the primary offensive option when he’s back to full strength. After all, he’s the one who is signed to a max contract.
The bad news is that Toronto may have to get through the early parts of the season without him. The good news, however, is that the Raptors have shown that the likes of VanVleet, OG Anunoby, and Scottie Barnes have been able to step up and prove that Toronto will be able to win games without their big frontcourt piece.
VanVleet’s shot is looking better, Barnes is contributing on both ends, and Anunoby has undergone a massive transformation, from a promising young two-way start into an offensive juggernaut capable of creating for himself at a clip that we haven’t seen before.
When Siakam returns to this group, then things can get really fun.
OG, man. Wow pic.twitter.com/2OekTJCuke
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) October 12, 2021
Siakam might not have dominated last year, but when you’re practicing in a hotel ballroom, playing in a hockey arena in Tampa, and beset by injuries and COVID-19, it’s hard to get into a groove.
With that nightmare year behind him, Siakam should come out firing when he returns to full health, as he could be the key when it comes to getting the Raptors to the postseason.