Even though the Toronto Raptors have raised a few eyebrows around the league by starting the season with a 6-4 record, a good deal of attention was still fixated firmly on injured star Pascal Siakam. This fanbase was refreshing Twitter every five minutes looking for the latest Pascal Siakam injury update.
The Cameroonian star hasn’t played this year due to his recovery from a shoulder operation in June. Considering the fact Siakam is an invaluable asset for both Toronto’s chances of contending for the postseason this year and their long-term outlook, the franchise was justifiably anxious about his recovery.
Luckily, it seems like Siakam has checked all of the necessary boxes and is ready to bring his unique style of basketball back to the Raptors. It seems like a virtual certainty that he’ll make his season debut at some point in the next week due to a speedy recovery.
Per Michael Grange of SportsNet, Siakam could return as soon as Sunday against the Brooklyn Nets. If he is unable to play in that game, Grange mentioned Wednesday’s game against the Celtics as an alternative debut date or Saturday’s tussle with the Pistons as the absolute worst-case scenario.
Some positive Raptors news: Pascal Siakam’s return is imminent, I’m hearing. *Could* be as soon as Sunday vs. Nets, if not then Wednesday @ Celtics. No later than Saturday vs. Detroit.
— Michael Grange (@michaelgrange) November 6, 2021
Pascal Siakam is finally returning to the Toronto Raptors.
While Siakam’s scoring did take a dip last season, he almost matched his career-high in rebounds per game while setting new personal bests in assists and steals per game. With all of the chaos around him and the COVID-19 issues this team had, Siakam’s production could be written off
It remains uncertain how the lineup will change with Siakam back, though having a ton of players performing so well is a good problem to have. Gary Trent Jr. has become an elite defender and Scottie Barnes has been so dominant it will be impossible to reduce his minutes. Could Siakam knock Precious Achiuwa down to the bench?
The fact that Siakam appears to be ready to play so soon is exactly what the Raptors needed to hear. The Atlantic Division may be the toughest grouping in the league, and if Toronto wants to compete for a playoff spot, they will need their superstar to come back and produce like the player we know he can be.
https://twitter.com/AaronBenRose/status/1456740770367643648
The Raptors have their young star in Barnes, two near-elite offensive players in Fred VanVleet and OG Anunoby, and an armada of role players perfectly equipped to help fill a specific need. What they’re missing is that one X-factor in the middle that makes everything click, and that’s what Siakam will bring to this team.