Top 3 players who need to step up in Pascal Siakam's absence in the Toronto Raptors lineup going into the 2021-2022 NBA Season
Pascal Siakam was the Toronto Raptors’ most prolific player in the 2020-21 NBA season. He recently underwent surgery for a shoulder injury that had forced him out of the final few games of the regular season. Siakam built on a strong 2019-20 NBA season and was injured against the Memphis Grizzlies in early May. This came just two days after having tied his career-high return in the NBA against the Washington Wizards with 44 points. Siakam’s injury was virtually the final straw that led to the end of the Toronto Raptors’ playoff bid.
He is expected to undergo a rehabilitation of around five months, meaning that Siakam is expected to return around early November. That will be two weeks after the 2021-22 NBA season is set to start. In this article, we look at three players who will have to improve and step up, irrespective of the new acquisitions that the Raptors get via the NBA draft and the Free Agency.
With Kyle Lowry’s future up in smoke as of now, the Toronto Raptors are expected to undergo large-scale changes during the offseason. They might as well find themselves a direct replacement for Pascal Siakam. However, there are multiple stars that they already have who can do a good job of stepping up in his absence. In this article, we look at the three players who will need to step up the most for the Toronto Raptors in Pascal Siakam’s absence.
#1 OG Anunoby
The Toronto Raptors will be a bit short offensively despite regardless of whether Kyle Lowry ends up staying. Pascal Siakam was the only Raptors player this season to average more than 20 points, with Fred VanVleet coming closest, averaging 19.6 points per game.
However, one like-for-like replacement that they have is OG Anunoby, who impressed throughout the 2020-21 NBA season. He averaged 15.9 points and 5.5 rebounds per game while shooting at an efficiency of 58%. That was the highest this season among the Toronto Raptors’ starters. Anunoby is perfectly capable of continuing his development through next season, and might as well be the starting power forward for the Toronto Raptors in Pascal Siakam’s absence.
#2 Gary Trent Jr.
Another player expected to have an increased role is the 22-year old Gary Trent Jr. He was a recent acquisition who established himself as a starter towards the end of the 2020-21 NBA season. The Toronto Raptors were experimenting and started a number of fringe players towards the end, with Gary Trent Jr. racking up 15 starts since making his move from the Portland Trail Blazers.
He is versatile enough to play in both the SG and SF positions. Trent Jr. is sure to get increased minutes, especially if OG Anunoby becomes the starting PF in Siakam’s absence. Gary Trent Jr. was averaging 16.2 points despite shooting at only 47.9% and is another player who is set to improve in the coming time. He is also expected to step up and should get more starts towards the start of next season, with Pascal Siakam expected to return in November.
#3 Chris Boucher
Another player who is set to receive extra minutes in Pascal Siakam’s absence is Chris Boucher. Chris Boucher proved himself to be an able role player for the Toronto Raptors throughout the season. He ended up registering his highest ever-return of 38 points against the Chicago Bulls in a losing cause in April.
While OG Anunoby is expected to replace Siakam in the starting lineup, Chris Boucher should also get extra minutes. He is perfectly capable of making an impact on both ends of the court. This season, he averaged more than 13 points per game and shot at more than 38% from the three-point zone. Boucher also registered 1.9 blocks and 6.7 rebounds per game. He is the third player who is expected to have to step up.