3 potential benefits to the Raptors moving Pascal Siakam

3. His absence creates room for Scottie Barnes to grow

I don’t think it’s outrageous to say Barnes is the top priority on this Raptors roster.

A superstar rookie the likes of which the Raptors haven’t seen in decades, developing Barnes’ already considerable gifts and grooming him for stardom is what will take this team out of the mire of the play-in tier and into the next era of quality Raptors ball.

Siakam and Barnes both play the same position. Both are rangy power forwards that slide to the small forward or center when needed. Still, that’s almost beside the point. The positional designations that once held players hostage have been all but eradicated by the modern NBA.

The fact that they both play the four is not why Barnes and Siakam can’t co-exist, it’s not because there aren’t enough shots for them, it’s because they both want the ball in the same places.

Barnes and Siakam are both best with the ball in their hands, catching and creating for themselves and others from the permitter and the high-post. It’s not like with Anunoby and Gary Trent, two players who also need their diet of shots from deep.

Barnes and Siakam crowd each other, forcing one of them to play in the corner or the dunker spot, and it’s often been Barnes who’s deferred to Siakam. We can’t fault Barnes for deferring, but we’d like to see him be a bit more aggressive and willing to take over on offense.

Will trading Pascal Siakam impact Scottie Barnes?

Besides a true rim protector, the biggest hole in the Raptors roster was at backup point guard. Fred VanVleet has been outstanding thus far this season, but the offensive fluidity has ground to a complete halt when he takes a break.

The team needed a ball-handler and playmaker during the VanVleet-less minutes. To begin the year, fans thought Goran Dragic could pick up that responsibility, but it looks like that ship has sailed. Fans looked to Malachi Flynn, who has had moments of production, but they don’t come often enough.

The intrigue surrounding Dalano Banton is palpable. A fan favourite and dripping with funky potential, Banton is a long way away from being the primary ball-handler for an NBA offense.

You won’t see it in the box score, but Barnes’ passing skills and offensive potential make up the backbone of this team’s future. It’s been great to watch, but he can’t be fully unleashed playing second fiddle to Pascal Siakam.