Dave Feschuk: Why the Raptors need a healthy Pascal Siakam now more than ever
DeRozan, of course, is one of the active masters of drawing NBA whistles, currently averaging a career-best 9.1 free-throw attempts a game.
It’s not ideal that Siakam seems to be getting worse as a free-throw shooter, spiralling from 83 per cent two seasons ago to 75 cent last year to 73 per cent this season. That’s a topic for another day. In a season in which Siakam has professed his intention to go from two-time all-NBAer to top-five performer in the league, Nurse said Siakam’s new-found robustness in traffic is a positive development, and it comes down to at least a couple of things.
“He’s taking it to spots where he wants it to go, and I think that probably wasn’t always the case,” Nurse said. “ he was getting rerouted to different places he didn’t want to go, and now he’s trying to get it where he wants to go. And I think that is because of some more balance and some more composure and some more physical strength.”
It’s early in the season, and old habits die hard, but the self-analysis seems to have been productive so far. Siakam is driving to the hoop a little more frequently than he did last season. He’s also posting up a touch more often, backing down defenders with authority. And certainly Toronto’s coaching staff has been successful in freeing up Toronto’s best player in advantageous locations.When he’s getting it in those areas, he’s possessed of a straightforward plan.
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