The open secret of Pascal Siakam’s breakout season—one primed for the Most Improved Player award—is that it all could look quite different under playoff conditions. The rules of the game may not change in the postseason, but everything else does. Rotations shorten, exposing every player to consistently superior competition. The pace slows, eliminating many of the fast breaks that pad stat lines and boost efficiency. Seven-game scrutiny can make damning even the slightest limitation. None of this is entirely new to Siakam, save for the stakes: Toronto has come to rely on the 24-year-old forward in a way it never had previously.
Pascal Siakam's Breakout Season and the Raptors' Playoff Path
