Toronto Raptors: 3 Stars of the Game
By Demar Grant
Third Star of the Game: Pascal Siakam
This kid is the real deal. When Jared Sullinger went down with his foot injury there was a lot of speculation as to who would fill his spot.
Instead of Patrick Patterson, Dwane Casey selected Siakam to take the mantle of starting power forward and it paid dividends. He finished the game with nine rebounds and only four points, but he brought it on the defensive end.
Siakam’s fluid body movement was integral for pick and roll coverage, switching and chasing Marcus Morris around the perimeter and resulting in him shooting just 7-17 for 17 points.
Although Siakam only recorded one steal he was a pest in the passing lanes, deterring passes and disrupting just enough to threw off the timing of offensive sets. The 4 points don’t hurt especially with Stars one and two playing the way they were.
Chipping in those nine boards and playing exceptional defense is enough for Casey to keep anyone in the rotation. Look for Siakam to start the next game on Friday.