NBA Game Reviews: January 4, 2021

1. Pascal Siakam is not playing like an All-Star, and the Raptors will miss the playoffs if he’s not

Pascal Siakam had a meteoric rise to greatness in the NBA. He came out of seemingly nowhere in 2019, and was awarded the Most Improved Player as a key piece to the Raptors Championship team. Last season, following Kawhi’s departure, Siakam took over the reins of the team, and did not disappoint, averaging just under 23 points and 7.3 rebounds on 50% shooting from the field. He led the Raptors to the two seed in the East, and was voted into his first all-star game as a starter, cementing himself as a top player in this league. 

The Raptors were expecting him to continue to trend upward this year after signing him to a 4y/$130M extension a year ago. That hasn’t been the case, and the Raptors are struggling because of it. Siakam is averaging just 17.6 points on 41% shooting, and has led the Raptors to an abysmal 1-5 record to open the year. He sat out the team’s December 31st contest against the Knicks, which has been the Raptors’ only victory this season. If the Most Improved Player can’t show some signs of improvement soon, the Raptors may be in for an extremely disappointing 2021 campaign in Tampa Bay.

2. The Indiana Pacers’ continuity is fueling their early season success

COLORS KEY | FULL PACERS FUTURE OUTLOOK

The Indiana Pacers were down six with 20 seconds left on Monday against the Pelicans. Victor Oladipo hit a three, forced a steal, and found Myles Turner who hit a huge three to tie it. The Pacers sent the game to overtime and would go on to win 118-116. The Pacers now sit at 5-2 and are currently tied for the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. The Pacers finished fourth in the East last year, but were swept by the Heat in the first round. They made no notable moves in the offseason, which many saw as an acceptance of losing. 

The Pacers brought back 98% of the team’s total minutes during the 2019-20 season, a staggering 9% more than the second-highest team, the Chicago Bulls. The GM of the Pacers, Chad Buchanan, saw something in the team he has in place and decided to run it back, hoping a new Head Coach would make enough of a difference. So far, that has turned out to be the right decision as their continuity has thrived early in the season while other teams are still figuring it out. The Pacers will be tested with eight straight Western Conference opponents over the next 16 days, including a tough five-game road trip next week.

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