Raptors: Pascal Siakam injury update is not ideal for Toronto

Pascal Siakam and the Toronto Raptors have been soldering on without Fred VanVleet over the last few games, as back problems have forced names like Christian Koloko and O.G. Anunoby to step up. When called upon, most of Toronto’s role players have done their job.

While Toronto has shown they can win without VanVleet for short patches, winning without Siakam could prove to be much more difficult. A walking triple-double threat, Siakam’s play has been the backbone of what Toronto wants to do on both sides of the ball.

The Cameroonian star, who has played like an MVP candidate so far, left Toronto’s loss against Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks in the third quarter, as he appeared to slip on a wet spot on the court. The Raptors battled without him, but came up just short in a 111-110 loss. They might need to get used to playing without Pascal for a few games.

Siakam exited with a strained right groin, which could be an injury that sidelines him for a while, depending on the severity. Let’s hope that the doctors come back with an optimistic report, as anything less than that would be a disaster for a Raptors team that found their momentum.

UPDATE: Siakam has been diagnosed with a right adductor strain. He will miss a minimum of two weeks before being reevaluated.

Pascal Siakam injury update: Toronto Raptors star has groin strain

Siakam ranked as high as fourth on NBA.com’s MVP ladder this year, showing that his career-best scoring marks have been accentuated by nearly averaging 10 rebounds per game and dishing out over seven assists per contest. Replacing that sort of production will be almost impossible.

How long he is out will depend on the severity. If it is a Grade 1 strain, which means that there is mild pain and tenderness, he could only be out for a couple of games. Grade 2 and Grade 3 strains, which are more complete tears that cause bruising, could sideline him longer.

With Scottie Barnes already having missed a game with an ankle injury and the VanVleet back issues having kept No. 23 out for the last three fixtures, the Raptors have been pulling out victories despite not having their full array of stars. Winning without Pascal, however, is a totally different beast.

The Raptors will likely keep Koloko in the starting lineup while VanVleet, Anunoby, Barnes, and Gary Trent Jr. try to replace what Siakam can do on a nightly basis. It is not going to be easy, but the Raptors should be confident in their ability to win with the players they have,