Watch Pascal Siakam’s stance on defense. The Toronto Raptors’ All-Star forward lurches out so far his back is nearly parallel with the ground. His knees barely bend. One foot is usually out ahead of the other. In Game 5 of the seven-game series the Toronto Raptors lost to the Boston Celtics, Siakam and his long, unruly limbs accidentally kicked Daniel Theis in the face, a move that recalled and amused WWE legend Shawn Michaels.
Siakam has the look of a defender off-balance, primed for a blow-by, yet it’s that very configuration — the ever-alert eyes bulging out of his perched out neck, the legs perpetually in runners position — that allowed him, in the regular season, to contest more threes than anyone in the NBA.