In the spirit of full transparency, I’d like to preface this article with a confession: Pascal Siakam is my favourite player in the NBA.
Admittedly, I didn’t know much about him when commissioner Adam Silver first announced his name on draft night in 2016. But, as soon as he stepped out on the Raptors’ court for the first time, I was blown away. Within a few minutes, he had chased after a loose ball, grabbed a couple boards and showed tremendous tenacity on defense. Sure, he looked completely lost on the offensive end, as one would expect after being unexpectedly thrust into a starting role; but, Siakam’s energy was infectious.