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Toronto Raptors striker Pascal Siakam (43). (Nathan Denette / CP)
Talent has always been there, but this year, Pascal Siakam has perfected it at award-winning levels.
From the most valuable player in the G-League finals to the strong starbencher, the Toronto Raptors forward has seen impressive leaps in virtually every statistic since entering the NBA, particularly season. As the league reaches its quarter-finals, the 24-year-old has emerged as one of the pioneers of the most improved player award.
The fact that he has on average twice as many points and more than nine minutes more than last season is just a scratch.
After winning the confidence of Raptors coach Nick Nurse, Siakam played all 21 games in Toronto this season – including 20 as a starter – and scored less than 10 points in just four of them. His net score of 15.2 is fifth in the league among players who have played nine games or more with an average of at least 15 minutes per game, an effort that earned him the title of Player of the Week in November . All of this turned out to be a Grade A ball handler and a transition marker with floor spacing.
It may be too early to speculate on next year's awards season, but, barring injury, there is no reason to believe that Siakam will not continue to increase its development curve in the rest of the season. His jewel over 25 points out of 21 in the 125-115 victory of the Raptors on the Miami Heat is the proof.
In order to badyze Siakam's case for the most improved player, his campaign should be measured in three categories: his own statistics from last season, previous winners' statistics and the performances of other MIP 2018-19 candidates.
Siakam against himself
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| PPG | AST | REB | BLK | STL | FG% | eFG% | AT | MPG | g | GS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | 14.5 | 2.3 | 6.7 | 0.7 | 1.2 | 0.631 | 0.662 | 1.4 | 29.1 | 21 | 20 |
| 2017-18 | 7.3 | 2 | 4.5 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 0508 | 0.537 | 0.8 | 20.7 | 81 | 5 |
The explosion of the scores, the rebounds, the percentage of goals scored and the minutes are the most remarkable developments of the Siakam game, but the MIP contest concerns both perception and statistics.
The striker is no longer seen as a complementary piece, but rather as an effective and viable scoring option for a team of five players, Kyle Lowry and Kawhi Leonard. His 2.8 wins in the season hold only Lowry (3.0) among the Raptors players.
It should also be noted that even though Siakam tries almost as many trios as last season (1.7 against 1.6), his percentage of three points has increased (0.333 against 0.22), which should give him the insurance to shoot more often. The same goes for his shot back, as he draws most of his buckets from the paint. For the purposes of gossip, this is an area that could be detrimental to him in the case of the most improved player.
It is definitely better than last year. But how historically impressive is this beginning?
Siakam against past MIPs
Victor Oladipo, guard of the Indiana Pacers, is the most improved player in title. He distinguished himself as the number one goal option in 2017-18, his first season in Indiana, after being included in the deal that sent Paul George to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Here are his statistics of his winning season and the previous one:
| PPG | AST | BWR | BLK | STL | FG% | eFG% | AT | MPG | g | GS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-18 | 23.1 | 4.3 | 5.2 | 0.8 | 2.4 | 0.477 | 0.537 | 2.9 | 34 | 75 | 75 |
| 2016-17 | 15.9 | 2.6 | 4.3 | 0.3 | 1.2 | 0.442 | 0.51 | 1.8 | 33.2 | 67 | 67 |
Comparing these figures to Siakam's current breakthrough, the Raptors forward is doing well.
The biggest difference between the two players is that Siakam is not the center of the offense – as shown by the total points per game. In fact, the last player to win the trophy with an average of less than 20 points per game was George, with the Pacers, in 2012-13.
The production of points could hurt Siakam's cause, but the overview of the roadmap – especially the percentage of field goals – should be enough to compensate.
Before Oladipo, striker Giannis Antetokounmpo of Milwaukee Bucks held the MIP title.
Here are the Antetokounmpo figures for the 2016-17 season compared to the previous year:
| PPG | AST | REB | BLK | STL | FG% | eFG% | AT | MPG | g | GS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-17 | 22.9 | 5.4 | 8.8 | 1.9 | 1.6 | 0.521 | 0.541 | 2.9 | 35.6 | 80 | 80 |
| 2015-16 | 16.9 | 4.3 | 7.7 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 0.506 | 0.52 | 2.6 | 35.3 | 80 | 79 |
Antetokounmpo had a better year in terms of points, rebounds, badists and percentage of goals scored compared to 2015-16, with an average of minutes per game average per game. However, he was already considered the No.1 Bucks man on the offensive and had just been at the top of a continuous development curve on his way as one of the most scorers and defenders. prolific of the NBA. He was also selected to the All-Defensive team that year, with an average of 1.6 interceptions and 1.9 blocks per game, and thus won his first selection of stars in that year. career.
No wonder he has been part of the conversation with MVP for the past two seasons.
It is less likely that we will discuss the Siakam MVP case in two years time. He is barely number 1 in Toronto and averages fewer minutes than Giannis has ever seen after his rookie season in 2013-14.
Nevertheless, an objective look at Siakam's 25-brand campaign shows that it is well positioned, with historically significant leaps in all major categories, despite lower overall numbers than previous winners.
Siakam against the field
This is largely subject to interpretation, but currently two players have numbers that could rival Siakam's MIP campaign: Sacramento Kings' De'Aaron Fox guard and Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine.
Although LaVine's production has managed to turn heads so far this year, it missed much of last season with a torn ACL and was restricted a few minutes in its 24 games.
Whether it's fair or not, Fox seems to be the real competition, so we'll focus on him.
Here are Fox's numbers from last season and the current one:
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