3 things Toronto Raptors must fix to catch Celtics in playoff race

1. Lean on Pascal Siakam offensively

Siakam’s pre-break stretch of basketball was perhaps the best we’ve ever seen him play. Since the start of the new year, Siakam averaged 23.4 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game on 51/40/74 shooting percentages. He’s had less success against Boston, however.

In both games Siakam has played against Boston this year, the combination of Williams and Al Horford prevented him from scoring more than 20 points in either game. With a dearth of consistent scoring down in the post, Toronto needs Siakam to be at his best if they lock horns with the Celtics.

Pascal Siakam must lead the Toronto Raptors past the Celtics.

Fred VanVleet is a deserving All-Star, and Gary Trent Jr. has evolved into a tremendous shooter and scorer, but Siakam has been the catalyst for a much-improved Raptors team over the last few months.

If Brooklyn gets back on track, a 7-8 matchup between Boston and Toronto could come to fruition. Udoka has managed to find a solution to Siakam so far, but now that he’s on a roll, it could be much harder for Boston’s new iron-clad defense to put the clamps on him for four quarters.