They are Option A and Option B for the Raptors these days, but in some ways all the long hours leading up to becoming top dogs — a journey they weathered together — matter more to Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet.
Born within two months of each other, and a world apart, in 1994 — late February for VanVleet in Rockford, Ill. and Siakam across the ocean in Douala, Cameroon in early April — their paths first crossed in the summer of 2016: Siakam drafted 27th by Toronto, VanVleet passed over before signing with the Raptors.