3 reasons why Raptors’ Pascal Siakam deserves an All-Star nod
By Mike Luciano
2. The “he missed games” excuse doesn’t work
Due to a shoulder injury in the offseason that forced him to miss the first chunk of games in the season, Siakam’s All-Star case might not be taken as seriously by some of the coaches and media who helped construct these teams. That excuse doesn’t hold up when you look at some of the other reserves’ number of games played.
Siakam has played in 37 games this season, which is more than Jimmy Butler, a deserving All-Star with just 34 contests to his name. Khris Middleton was also named to the All-Star team, but he has just 41 games this season. Why is the lack of game time being held against Siakam and not those two?
Toronto Raptors: Pascal Siakam put up All-Star numbers in 37 games.
Essentially, the league is telling Siakam that his All-Star candidacy was over before the year even started. Since returning to the team, Siakam has missed just three games, two of which were thanks to the league’s health and safety protocols.
Siakam has proven that his 37 games are as worthy of inclusion in the All-Star game as Middleton’s 41. If you want to poke holes in Siakam’s numbers to vote for someone else, that’s your prerogative. However, the “he missed time” narrative simply doesn’t make sense.