You had to hand it to Pascal Siakam on Tuesday. He’s in the opening weeks of what promises to be a breakthrough season. He’s averaging 26 points a game and mostly acting every bit the franchise player the Raptors just handed a four-year contract extension worth the maximum allowable of about $130 million U.S.
In other words, he’s got every reason to believe he’s currently riding a rocketship to his first of many all-star games.
But for all his recent elevation in status, Siakam did not deflect responsibility when Toronto head coach Nick Nurse called him out to the media after practice, publicly airing a relatively minor quibble with Siakam’s game.