The Toronto Raptors haven’t shied away from letting Pascal Siakam be the main offensive force that drives Toronto’s entire operation. The results have not only been acceptable, given Toronto’s 3-2 start, but they’ve been nothing short of jaw-dropping and record-setting.
Siakam has averaged 25.2 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 8.0 assists per game in the first five games of the season, three of which have been Raptors wins. After making All-NBA last season, Siakam’s latest performance has helped establish him as a player the powers that be in the league must respect.
Not only does he appear to be a near lock for All-NBA again this year, but he might even push his way onto the second team if he is able to keep these numbers off. Not all the players from last year’s All-NBA squads have been performing at that level so far this season.
These three players from the 2021-22 All-NBA team are getting thoroughly outplayed by Siakam in the early stages of this season. Pascal’s emergence has put him on the same level as these stars, despite all three of them likely getting more hype from the NBA media.
Toronto Raptors: 3 2021 All-NBA members Pascal Siakam is outplaying.
3. Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves
Towns was a prime candidate for statistical regression, as the addition of Rudy Gobert and the continued development of Anthony Edwards was going to rob him of opportunities to score. Still, the fact that Siakam has been the better player so far and away this year is worth considering.
Towns is averaging 20.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game on 45% shooting. All of those numbers except the assists are down from last year, while Siakam improved upon last year’s averages while maintaining his solid field goal percentage. Has Pascal leaped over KAT?
Is Pascal Siakam better than Karl-Anthony Towns?
With the Joel Embiid/Nikola Jokic center question likely to still lord over the All-NBA selections, there is a chance that Towns and Siakam end up battling it out for the final spot. Assuming that the Timberwolves are going to let the young Edwards get in as many shots as they have, Towns’ numbers may continue to suffer.
Siakam has been able to put these numbers up despite an All-Star point guard and Rookie of the Year in Fred VanVleet and Scottie Barnes, respectively, all requiring touches. Even though he sacrifices shots in one of the league’s slowest offenses, Pascal has been as dominant as ever.
2. Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks
Young is still an electric scorer, as his 27.8 points per game and 10.3 assists per game show that he has adjusted perfectly to the addition of another ball-dominant guard in Dejounte Murray. Where Pascal overtakes him, however, is the fact that he’s putting up those numbers on 47% efficiency without turning the ball over.
Young has made just 34% of his shots, which is far below what we’re used to seeing from him. Going 23% from the 3-point line while attempting just under nine triples per contest is the definition of underperforming. Considering the other skills Pascal brings to the table, it’s clear who is performing better.
Toronto Raptors: Pascal Siakam’s efficiency trumps Trae Young.
Both Young and Siakam are elite scorers and passers, but Siakam’s defense is so far clear of Young that the two aren’t in the same stratosphere. If the voters want to consider defense for these teams, they need to realize that Siakam is multiple tiers above Young in this area.
With Young and Siakam both the stars on teams expected to make some noise in the playoffs, both of them will likely get some props from the larger basketball media landscape. Having said that, any list that has Young above Siakam, based on this first morsel of action, is not dealing with reality.
How many 37-point triple-doubles will convince you?
1. Chris Paul, Phoenix Suns
Paul is still an important, effective leader for the Suns, as they will need his unparalleled passing skills if they want to emerge from what remains a very crowded field in the Western Conference. Still, Siakam’s numbers are blowing Paul’s stats out of the water this year.
Paul is averaging 10.3 assists per game, but his 9.8 points per game show a stark drop from the previous few seasons. While leaning on Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton is a wise strategy, Phoenix will not win anything with Paul being that much of a scoring negative on offense.
Pascal Siakam is far outscoring Chris Paul.
What has made Siakam’s rise up the NBA’s hypothetical power rankings for these sorts of lists is how he has continued to add skills to his game without sacrificing some of his best traits. The potential supermax candidate is a better rebounder and passer than ever before, but his scoring has not eroded one bit.
There is a universe in which Paul once again makes one of the All-NBA teams and Siakam either doesn’t get the nomination or gets limited to third team for the second season in a row. From a statistical point of view, that would be a crime.