The Toronto Raptors have one player who should be an automatic All-Star in point guard Fred VanVleet, but he isn’t the only player on this team that is dominating lately. Pascal Siakam is playing at a level that may help him get to Cleveland for the 2022 All-Star festivities.
Siakam is averaging 19.9 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game this season. Considering it took some time for him to get going after an offseason surgery, Siakam is looking like the same player that was named an All-Star in 2019-20 on both ends of the floor.
Siakam recorded 25 points, 19 rebounds, and seven assists in a New Year’s Eve victory against the Clippers. With 20 points, 14 rebounds, and seven assists in his first 2022 contest against the Knicks, His best showing came against the Bucks, she recorded 33 points.
Siakam was playing one of the absolute best stretches of basketball we’ve ever seen from him in the month of December, and it may have been strong enough to get him some All-Star consideration. Did he do enough to win enough votes and earn his second trip to the All-Star game.
Pascal Siakam best game of the season:
— StatMuse (@statmuse) January 1, 2022
25 PTS
19 REB
7 AST
2 STL
2 BLK
He joins Chris Bosh, Vince Carter and Doug Christie as the only Raptors with a 25/15/5 game. pic.twitter.com/e9zbJqZR3t
Could Toronto Raptors star Pascal Siakam become an All-Star?
Siakam’s 20.4 points per game average is higher than that of Domantas Sabonis, Miles Bridges, and Julius Randle. With 8.4 boards per contest, he’s topping Evan Mobley, Myles Turner, and John Collins. 4.3 assists per game make him one of the best passing big men in the game.
Siakam averaged 22.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game in December. Toronto went 6-3 in games where Siakam played. One of those losses came at the buzzer against Oklahoma City, one was an overtime road loss against Brooklyn, and the other was a right game against Philadelphia that featured replacement players.
Over his last five games, Siakam is averaging 24.8 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 6.6 assists per game. If those are not All-Star numbers, I don’t know what is.
The Raptors look more unified on offense, and Siakam putting up some of the best rebounding and interior finishing numbers of his career is a big reason why.
The @Raptors WIN their first game of 2022 as they top New York 120-105!
— NBA Canada (@NBACanada) January 2, 2022
Fred VanVleet: 35 PTS, 7 3PT, 5 AST
Pascal Siakam: 20 PTS, 14 REB, 7 AST
OG Anunoby: 14 PTS, 3 REB, 3 STL
Scottie Barnes: 13 PTS, 4 REB
Chris Boucher: 12 PTS, 4 REB, 2 BLK#WeTheNorth pic.twitter.com/BS33lsao2a
Siakam has a few factors working against him. First, he missed a good chunk of time with injuries and the COVID-19 protocols. Second, Toronto’s record being close to .500 might not be good enough to warrant two separate All-Stars.
Finally, with names like Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Jayson Tatum in the east, Siakam is going to have plenty of competition. Did his dominant December come just a bit too late?
Siakam may not have the gaudy per game averages of some of his contemporaries, but he’s been as efficient as any big man in the East right now. While he might be a long shot to make the All-Star given the factors working against him, his production should get him some consideration