Pascal Siakam speaks on impact Kyle Lowry had with Raptors

Pascal Siakam and the Toronto Raptors may have beat up on the Miami Heat thanks to a Scottie Barnes masterclass, but there was a tinge of bittersweetness in that victory. As with all wins against Miami in the last few years, it came at the expense of Kyle Lowry.

Even though Lowry has been in Miami for the last two years, and Toronto has done a very nice job of peeling the Band-Aid off and transitioning to the post-Lowry era, quotes from stars like Siakam show that the specter of Lowry hasn’t left this locker room.

Siakam, who called Lowry his “beloved” earlier in his post-game quote-fest, showed that even with Lowry plying his trade for Pat Riley’s Heat, the lessons that he thought the Raptors during their first season in the league have gone a long way towards making them a dominant team.

“We learned from him, like just being a pro all around,” Siakam said, via Sports Illustrated. “For me, I just remember him being in the gym every single day, coming in early, doing all the right things, like we watched that and it rubbed off on us. You had no choice but to want to be out there early or things like that…You can’t kind of teach that and you can’t cheat it.”

Toronto Raptors: Pascal Siakam discusses Kyle Lowry.

Lowry’s Heat tenure hasn’t been everything he hoped it would be. Not only has he struggled with injuries, but his inconsistent play on it has prompted some insane takes from Miami-based radio hosts. Lowry’s skills may not be what they were in Toronto, but there’s no way he’s totally shot.

Even in the late stages of his Toronto tenure, Lowry was still hitting big shots and playing his usual brand of hard-nosed basketball for the Raptors. When he is healthy, and his 3-pointers are falling, he can still be an effective player for a team with championship aspirations.

Even though the Heat have a veteran team, part of the reason they were so aggressive in the pursuit of Lowry is his ability to connect with young players and teach them how to excel as professionals. Tyler Herro has without question picked up a thing or two from the GROAT.

While Lowry may not have the most ceremonious end to his career, barring him joining a ready-made contender with better short-term prospects than Miami, his leadership remains beyond reproach. Siakam clearly has a high degree of reverence for what Lowry instilled in him.