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Raptors writers roundtable: Playoff predictions for Raptors-76ers

By Mike Luciano

TORONTO, ON - JANUARY 23: Fred VanVleet #23 of the Toronto Raptors leads the team in a huddle before playing the Portland Trail Blazers (Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - JANUARY 23: Fred VanVleet #23 of the Toronto Raptors leads the team in a huddle before playing the Portland Trail Blazers (Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images) /
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Pascal Siakam, Toronto Raptors
TORONTO, ON – MARCH 28: Pascal Siakam #43 of the Toronto Raptors (Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images) /

Q3: If the Raptors win, Pascal Siakam is a Top __ player in the NBA?

ML: Siakam is firmly a top 20 player if he pulls off this win. Despite playing out of position for most of the year and playing alongside a lineup that lacked shooting, Siakam went from a fringe All-Star to a no-doubt All-NBA selection. Excluding him from the top 20 is silly.

TH: Tough call. If he plays the way he’s been playing this second half, he is firmly in the top 20, and then it becomes debatable based on how other players perform/how you value top 20 guys who didn’t get into the playoffs this year.

Pascal Siakam is playing his best ball for the Toronto Raptors.

SS: If the Raptors beat the 76ers, Pascal will finish as a Top 20 player this year. The Raptors wouldn’t be in the position they currently are in without his resurgence. If they beat the 76ers with his current pace on both ends of the floor, he will have cemented his position on the All-NBA team list and shunned the non-believers.

ME: I already felt as though he is Top 20 before the postseason even started, but if he can play well and leads his team to a series win, I think there’s an argument to be made he could move into the top 15.