Pascal Siakam Wants to Stay With Toronto Raptors – The New York Times
What do you think the 17-year-old version of you would say to the 27-year-old version of you?
Yeah, it’s impossible. At that point in time, I wasn’t really thinking that I was going to make it to the N.B.A. and I was going to be this big. That I was going to be at this level, win a championship. I could never even get myself to dream about those things. One, because obviously, basketball wasn’t my first choice. And then secondly, I just couldn’t see myself doing those things. Because I was going to business school and I planned to go to college for business in Cameroon.
With Kyle gone, obviously now you’re even more of the guy now. Your agent says you’re happy in Toronto. Masai Ujiri, the team president, said your relationship is pretty healthy with the organization. How would you characterize it?
I think it’s growing, obviously. Because I just think that for me, I feel the love. Obviously, Masai, we go way back and I’ll always have a ton of respect for Masai and everything that he’s done for the continent [Africa].
For me at that point when I started becoming that person, I just felt like there wasn’t that much level of communication, to be honest. And that was the only thing really that I felt. It was like, “We got you the max contract, but are you the guy?” I think that’s something that I was struggling with.
What do you mean by that?
Obviously, Kyle was there, being a point guard. Kyle was, to me, always the greatest Raptor of all time. I think he was always like, “I was the guy.” I had the contract, but I never really felt like I was the guy, to be honest.
You wanted them to say, “You know, here’s the max contract. You’re the guy. You’re the centerpiece that’s going to take us to the repeat championship.”
Yeah. I never really felt like there was that. And I think those conversations are happening now.
As Raptors approach camp, all eyes will be focused on Pascal Siakam | The Star
Which brings me to Pascal Siakam, who was in the news yesterday after he gave an interview to the New York Times that was mildly revealing and the most open he’d been in a while.
He admitted that he had COVID-19 last year – he had never said that to us despite having numerous chances to, an opportunity he should have taken to clear the air last year. He didn’t and decided to months after the fact, for whatever reason.
Most of the rest of it was rehash. He didn’t handle the 2020 bubble very well – duh! – and he clashed at times last season with head coach Nick Nurse – double duh! Both are, and were, undeniable as the difficult season went on and are, I believe, easily overcome now that things are back to normal.
The other part that got me – and perplexed me – was that Siakam somehow felt he wasn’t “the man” during last season.
That basically runs counter to all reality. He took basically every big shot in every close game down the stretch, every time we asked Nick or any of his teammates who the team’s “closer” was, Siakam was singled out and I’m not sure what else anyone could have done to make him feel his big-shot opportunities would be commensurate with his maximum salary.
That just doesn’t ring true and I would hope there’d be further explanation coming when he has to actually talk to writers who closely watched every game last season.
And how he now fits with his teammates, and his coaches, is going to be worth watching closely when they all reconvene for a “regular” regular season.
I do imagine it’ll be fine, I think this group that returns basically all five starters from the end of last season augmented by a promising rooking and far more frontcourt depth than it had last season will be fine.
I’m not guessing yet where they’ll finish but I do think it’s going to be a fun and versatile group to watch and whatever Masai and Bobby turn Goran Dragic into at some point in the season might be the major determining factor in its ultimate success.
But Siakam has to be central to it whenever he plays, and that doesn’t sound like it’s going to before late November since he’s not doing much basketball stuff at the moment.
He has to mature a bit and he has to feel comfortable in his role, which is already large, and if he’s really feeling like the last season and a half was a pandemic-ruined aberration he’s going to have to prove it on the court.
I do think he was bothered more by the disruption than any player or person on the team – and he seems quite willing to admit that – but it also means that if things are normal, he should be normal, too.
That’s truly a “let’s wait and see” proposition.
Q&A: Raptors star Pascal Siakam has heard the rumours, but he’s ready to lead | The Star
With Lowry gone, obviously now you’re even more of the guy now. Your agent says you’re happy in Toronto. Masai Ujiri, the team president, said your relationship is pretty healthy with the organization. How would you characterize it?
I think it’s growing, obviously. Because I just think that for me, I feel the love. Obviously, Masai, we go way back, and I’ll always have a ton of respect for Masai and everything that he’s done for the continent. For me, at that point when I started becoming that person, I just felt like there wasn’t that much level of communication, to be honest. And that was the only thing really that I felt. It was like, “We got you the max contract, but are you the guy?” I think that’s something that I was struggling with.
What do you mean by that?
Obviously, Kyle was there, being a point guard. Kyle was, to me, always the greatest Raptor of all time. I think he was always like, “I was the guy.” I had the contract, but I never really felt like I was the guy, to be honest.
You wanted them to say, “You know, here’s the max contract. You’re the guy. You’re the centrepiece that’s going to take us to the repeat championship.”
Yeah. I never really felt like there was that. And I think those conversations are happening now.
Trade rumours are part of the business. But there must be a part of you after this season that said, “Whoa, I won a championship for you guys. I became an all-star.” Is there a human side of you that is like, “Man, that’s messed up”?
Yeah. I think it is, definitely. And I think it’s something that I’ll probably definitely struggle with. You know? And I think even just, like, the negativity about my name. For me, it was weird. Because I’m like, “Damn.” I’m such a positive person, the people that know me. People see my story, understand where I come from and all the things that I’ve been able to achieve so far in my career. It has always been about positivity, right? It’s always, like, good things. “How can you hate this person?” type of thing.
Coming to Toronto, I always felt like it was a perfect mix. Me and Toronto was always perfect because, OK, I’m international; I love the diversity about being in Toronto. I understand being an underdog. Toronto always feels like it’s that underrated type of city. The people always feel like they never get respect from the general American media.
I think for me, just seeing the negativity and all the slanders about me … it was just kind of disappointing and just kind of like, “Man.” I really did feel, like, just me going through tough times — it’s not going to change everything, right? I felt like we were connected. And obviously I understand, like, man, this is a sport, right? You get paid the big bucks. You get paid to perform. I get that, and I understand it.
Was there any irritation from you toward the Raptors that your name was surfacing so much in trade rumours?
It didn’t bother me really, because I never really heard anything from the Raptors. Even all the news I was seeing it was never like, “Oh. The Raptors wanted to give up Siakam for this.” It was always like “the Warriors like Pascal,” or it was always “the Kings like Pascal,” or this. There was never nothing where it was like “the Raptors wanted to give away Pascal.”
What’s Good, Toronto? by Scottie Barnes – The Players Tribune
So, after the draft, we get the actual like first-day-of-school experience.
Touring the city and the facilities and all that. Visiting the CN Tower and looking out the glass floor. And of course, visiting Toronto’s other most famous landmark, Drake’s house. Hahah. (I can’t lie, his basketball court is just as nice as you’re picturing.) We got in a workout at the OVO Athletic Centre then headed to eat at the team facility, and it’s so funny, man, because my birthday was actually a few days after the draft, so at this point the best gift I already got was being drafted to this team…. But they had other plans. We pull up to the spot, and the entire team and staff were there with a birthday cake and balloons, and everything. And they sang the song and all that.
And I guess I just wanted to tell that story because that’s the thing about this franchise. They actually genuinely care about everyone on the team.
As corny as it might sound, with the birthday stuff and everything … it was like being with family. I even got to hit up The Real Jerk with Kardinal, and it’d been a while since I’d had a nice Jamaican meal. So it really just felt like I was coming home.
You know, you first start meeting folks during the pre-draft workouts, but at that point, you don’t really know how it’ll actually be. But I felt an instant connection with this team and this franchise, especially after I met Masai. I fell in love with him and Bobby, and their mentality in particular, just from linking with them at the facility and listening to all the coaches. Man, they had so much wisdom about the game, and I just remember how they were all about winning. But, the real love started for me when we started talking defense. They got me quick once they started telling me about their defensive mindset and the intensity they bring to it. For a guy like me, who has a passion for playing defense, and who prides himself on his versatility, that’s all I needed to hear to know this would be a great fit for both of us.
And I think we got to showcase a little bit of what people should expect during Summer League. When we got on the floor, I think you could see how it all came together for us.
Plus, the atmosphere in Vegas is just CRAZY.
It was great being out there and meeting my vets. And not just meeting them but really chopping it up about regular stuff…. Just building that foundation already. Like I remember being on the sidelines chopping it up with OG, just talking about the type of music we like. (We both like pop, reggae, a little bit of rock.) So getting to talk to him and Pascal just about life on and off the court was great. I feel like I’m already starting to get some important keys, and I just wanna be a sponge right now and take in everything. I don’t take any of this for granted.
We ended up losing ONE game the entire Summer League. ONE. And the whole time I’m thinking it’s going to be a playoff bracket, because all we really wanted to do was leave Vegas Summer League as champs. Then … I found out it was only the top two teams that played in the championship. I was pissed. Lol. I’m still a little mad about it. But, that just shows the love I have for this game and this city because all I want to do is play hard for this team. And I’m looking forward to showing y’all that more and more.
And I guess that’s all I really wanted to say. I’m just grateful to be here.
But before I go, I think I wanna leave y’all with one last little thing from draft night that made me smile.
I remember walking into the green room after Adam Silver called my name, and some people from the front office were waiting for me. We were shaking hands, and making introductions, and I was so excited I could barely get the words out. But there was one main thing that I really wanted to get across about myself: I’m ready to work. Not ease into it, not half-do things or make excuses because I’m one of the new guys. I’m ready to work. I’m ready to grind. I’m ready to WIN. And I could tell that the feeling was definitely mutual.
In his press conference announcing his new deal with the Raptors, team president Masai Ujiri reflected on the day Barnes spent in Tampa, working out and meeting members of the organization, before the draft.
“It’s crazy when you interview a guy like that and he mentions ‘winning’ or ‘win’ 34 times in one interview,” Ujiri said. “All he talks about is winning. This is what we wanted to bring.”
“When we interviewed him, when we came into contact with him, it was very obvious that he wanted us,” Engelbrecht said.
It helped that Barnes said it out loud, but the Raptors didn’t have any questions about the kid’s commitment to winning. In addition to his history with USA Basketball and in high school, both with U School and Montverde, his choice of going to Florida State was revealing. The program is known for playing a deep rotation, not necessarily ideal for a player looking to separate himself from the pack in what was destined to be his only collegiate season. Like many recent draft picks from Florida State before him, Barnes had an ordinary scoring average, 10.3 points per game. Simpson said that he and Barnes didn’t broach the subject of going to the NBA until this past January.
That mindset is also evident in his playing style. When asked, Barnes said his favourite thing to do on the floor is applying defensive pressure, which should be no 20-year-old’s favourite thing to do on the floor. As is normal for a kid whose size and athleticism were obvious from an early age, Barnes got involved in the AAU system early, with all the attendant skill development that comes with it. That is not what defined his basketball infancy, though.
“I was always playing with older guys. Me growing up, I loved playing,” Barnes said. “I’d just go to the Salvation Army, LA Fitness. And when you go to LA Fitness, it’s a bunch of 40-year-olds, 30-year-olds. I was probably like 13, 14, 12, going to LA Fitness, going to hoop, being a little kid and having fun playing those sorts of people. But it teaches you the game, seeing their knowledge, seeing how they play, seeing their patience, how they read the floor, because those players have played a long time ago. They’ve got a little bit of knowledge about basketball. … It would be so packed that if you lose, you’re not getting (back) on for two or three games.”
“Anytime we went from drills to live play, 3-on-3, 4-on-4, 5-on-5,” added Charlton Young, an assistant coach at Florida State who had been tracking Barnes back to eighth grade, “his adrenaline and motor shot to another level to where the other guys had to raise their level because he was playing so hard.”
Accordingly, Barnes is addicted to doing the so-called little things that Raptors fans appreciated through Kyle Lowry’s tenure in Toronto. The two share almost nothing in common physically, but the passion for setting up teammates for success on both ends of the floor is a definite link. Young said Barnes played that way from the first time he saw him, unselfish “almost to a fault.”
“He gets inspired by inspiring others,” Simpson said. “While he is turning everyone else on, it turns him on even more. It’s kind of a weird thing — ‘the more I help, the better I get.’”
“I just let him play his position,” added Jim Carr, Barnes’ coach in AAU and at U School. “And his position for us was winner.”
That is the rub with the pick, the reason so many experts and fans are unsure about it: It is not as if the Raptors are wanting for winning-oriented, long-armed, high-intelligence players. What they most obviously need is scoring and playmaking, and while Barnes has shown promise on both fronts, particularly with the latter, his offence is an obvious question mark. As they have done before, the Raptors are betting on their ability to act as a skill-development incubator.
That does not mean Barnes is a clone, or amalgamation, of OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam, the Raptors’ other long, versatile forwards. Anunoby is stoic, while Siakam is happy-go-lucky with a penchant for frustration. Barnes is something else entirely.
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