Midseason form
Both Pascal Siakam and Serge Ibaka came into the preseason ready to play.
Ibaka started the first game 5-5 from the field. He ran the floor really well. He got to his spots and the shots from those spots were accurate as expected. Seeing him play like that in the preseason gives me the best kind of anticipation for the coming season.
Pascal Siakam has a lot of weight on his shoulders this season with a big, gaping hole left by Kawhi Leonard needing to be filled. There’s been a lot of speculation as to whether he’s ready to step into that role or not. I’ve been saying, “Absolutely he is,” all along. Seeing him in the Raptors first two preseason games only served to bolster my position.
And all summer, he knew this opportunity would be open to him and the work he did on his handles in preparation is obvious. It also looks like he did a little weight work knowing he’s going to find himself banging in the post.
That’s not to say he doesn’t need to tweak some things when it comes to his game to be a really effective number one option for the Raptors this year. One of those areas that stood out to me was his 3-point shooting. With 2:16 to play in the first quarter of the first game, he rose up and shot from easily three feet outside the arc. It was smooth, easy and accurate.
But overall, I saw enough inconsistency in his 3-point shot that it caused me some concern. In order to really step up this season, his three-point shot is going to have to be accurate enough to keep the defense honest. It can’t become the kind of thing where the opposing team says, “Fine, you can have that shot. If it goes down we’ll live with it.” No, it has to be accurate enough that teams are trying to run him off the line so that he has options. His shot has to be just as big a threat as his ability to move quickly or spin to the basket.
All in all, I think the Raptors looked really good in their first preseason games against the Rockets. They already look to be playing as a unit and the ball movement was great.
There is a lot of tweaking and improving to be done with this squad through the course of the season, no question. But seeing where changes should be made and making decisions that move the Raptors forward is simply what Masai Ujiri does. It’s something that most NBA fans either don’t realize or don’t give enough weight to.
For me though, what Ujiri does cannot be overstated. And that’s why I have full confidence that the Raptors will not only have a solid season, but they will surprise a lot of people.