3 Toronto Raptors who have exceeded expectations in solid start

1. Pascal Siakam

Siakam was not shy about declaring his intention to eventually become a top-five player in the league during the preseason. While even some diehard Raptors fans looked at this quote with some degree of skepticism, Pascal made good on every bit of that declaration before his injury.

Siakam averaged 24.8 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 7.7 assists per game before his injury. All of those numbers would be career-best marks for Pascal by a significant margin, showing that we still haven’t seen the absolute best version of what No. 43 can be in this offense.

The Toronto Raptors have leaned heavily on Pascal Siakam.

Siakam has been asked to be a backup point guard, traditional center, and lead post scorer, oftentimes within the same games, and he’s made the Raptors a better team in every area as a result. Calling what he’s done mercurial or uncommon within the confines of the NBA would be the understatement of the year.

The Raptors have shown they can tread water without Siakam, but their prospects of making a deep playoff run could come into question. Fans need to hope that his groin heals easy, as it could be the difference between getting a high playoff seed and being relegated to another quick exit.