Over the last four years, Toronto Raptors power forward Pascal Siakam and New York Knicks big man Julius Randle have proven to be worthy adversaries for one another and are often viewed as equal players in many regards. Siakam’s creativity and Randle’s power inside have helped both of them evolve into the best versions of themselves.
Deciding which one is better is often a matter of personal preference, with some valuing Randle’s box-score stuffing more than Siakam’s triple-double potential and vice versa. Siakam is averaging 24.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game for the 38-38 Raptors.
Despite the fact that he has improved upon last year’s averages in many key categories, Siakam’s All-NBA inclusion is far from a sure thing due to players like Randle also balling out. The latest knock sustained by Randle could give Pascal a chance to snatch a spot away from him.
Randle is reportedly out for the next two weeks, bringing his regular season to a premature end. If Siakam is dominant in his final few games and the Raptors end up making some headway in the standings, he could end up sneaking onto the third team once more.
Knicks say Julius Randle sustained a sprained left ankle in last night’s game against Miami. He will be re-evaluated in two weeks.
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) March 30, 2023
Raptors’ Pascal Siakam could take advantage of Julius Randle injury.
Randle and Siakam are both having career seasons, with the Knicks star averaging a career-best 25.1 points per game while pulling down 10 rebounds per contest. The Randle vs. Siakam argument is based not only on individual standout performances, but also on what is happening around them.
Voters who take a liking to Siakam over Randle likely are aware of the fact that Toronto’s lack of offensive creation around Pascal has made it tougher for him to achieve these gaudy numbers. Jalen Brunson has been better than any non-Siakam Raptor this season, meaning that Siakam has been
Toronto still has a chance to not only overtake the Heat and earn the No. 7 seed, but they could potentially escape the play-in altogether if the planets align and they go on a miracle run. The recency bias in this dream scenario might be enough to help Siakam squeeze on to that elite team.
It's going to depend on how much votes value minutes/games vs. how much they value "the best player" in the LeBron/KD ilk.
— Oren Weisfeld (@OrenWeisfeld) March 31, 2023
With that said, Pascal Siakam has led the league in minutes per game for the last two seasons, becoming the first player to do that since LeBron in 2016-18 https://t.co/4sWIMB3iEX
This could have huge contract implications for Siakam, as he could be eligible for a supermax contract if he is named to an All-NBA team for what would be the second year in a row. Siakam’s path to a nomination may be improbable, but not impossible if he balls out.