3 most disappointing Raptors amid team’s weird 2-4 start

1. Pascal Siakam

Siakam hasn’t been putrid, as he is being used more as an off-ball cutter and conventional 3-point shooter under Rajakovic, whereas he was a do-it-all dynamo under Nurse. That partially explains the sudden decline in his production, but not entirely.

Siakam’s scoring has dropped to just 16.7 points per game while making just 44% of his shots from the field. Siakam’s struggles are reigniting the debate over his ability to coexist with Barnes and eventually take a back seat as the prized young player starts to take over.

Pascal Siakam looks off for the Toronto Raptors.

The Raptors have refused trades for Siakam in the past, and they have hinted before the season they will give Pascal a good chunk of games with Rajakovic before making a decision on how tenable the fit is. The early returns, to be very blunt, don’t seem to be that enticing.

Barnes is thriving, which is the be-all and end-all for the Raptors from a roster construction point of view. However, if Siakam keeps playing this far beneath both his current and expected pay grade, the Raptors might end up as a tanking team that lets Barnes stat pad.

• 12 Players the Raptors never should have gambled on
• 5 Players the Raptors held onto for too long
• 4 Best undrafted talents to play for the Raptors
• The Best Toronto Raptors from every country