There is a new perspective a player gains when he spends weeks watching his team from the sidelines. So as Pascal Siakam, Norman Powell and Marc Gasol returned to the Raptors this week after missing about a month with their respective injuries, they did so backed by learnings from a different vantage point.
It was “definitely tough” and “stressful” for Siakam to sit out with a stretched groin but it game him a new appreciation for the defensive side of Toronto’s game.
“I think I learned a lot, just seeing the rotations,” he said. “I think you see things (with) some more clarity than when you’re actually on the floor.