3 Raptors who deserve praise for stepping up without Pascal Siakam

The Toronto Raptors have had some bad fortune in the last few years with their injury luck, and Pascal Siakam suffering a groin injury against the Dallas Mavericks three weeks ago only added to that frustrating trend. With the Cameroonian star in the middle of an All-NBA season, that injury could have been crushing.

Siakam, who has averaged 24.8 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 7.7 assists per game before getting hurt, has been named questionable for Monday’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Even if he doesn’t play in this game, he could be back to his old self on Wednesday against the Pelicans.

While this roster is still missing key names, the return of Siakam will have an immeasurable impact on how this team operates and how efficient they can be on both ends of the floor. Treading water at 5-5 with all of these injuries shows that many of the Raptors’ top reserves are capable of answering the call when asked.

These three Raptors should get boatloads of praise for being able to keep Toronto humming without Siakam in the lineup. When Siakam is restored to full health, Nick Nurse must make sure that this trio still has a solid role in the rotation carved out for them.

3 Toronto Raptors who stood out with Pascal Siakam hurt.

3. Thad Young

After it became clear that Christian Koloko was hitting the rookie wall, the Raptors were forced to put Young, a 6-8 veteran, at their center spot with Siakam on the mend. In that span, Young has shown that his combination of veteran moxie and intelligent play make him the perfect firestarter for this team.

Young averaged 11.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 2.2 steals per game over the past six games, helping Toronto win three of them. Toronto’s philosophy of getting more shot attempts by relentlessly crashing the offensive glass helped Thad corral 21 offensive boards in the last six games.

Thad Young has given the Toronto Raptors a lift.

Siakam is one of the game’s best scorers inside the arc, but Young was able to show off a very convincing facsimile of his ability to own the boards, find open teammates, and generate turnovers. This play makes Nurse’s initial hesitance to put him in the rotation look even more puzzling.

While Young was given his multi-year contract because of his ability to have a positive impact on any given game without scoring, he’s rediscovered his Philadelphia and Indiana scoring touch in the last few games. Even with a reduced role, good things seem to happen when Thad is on the floor.