"But are you the guy?" - Pascal Siakam blames Toronto Raptors for failing to clearly communicate their expectations of him

Toronto Raptors' Pascal Siakam recently sat down with Sopan Deb of The New York Times in an interview, revealing that the franchise failed to communicate to him his exact role last season.

"For me at that point when I started becoming that person, I just felt like there wasn’t that much level of communication, to be honest. And that was the only thing really that I felt. It was like, “We got you the max contract, but are you the guy?” I think that’s something that I was struggling with," said Siakam.

However, Siakam also divulged that the necessary conversation is now finally ongoing. Both head coach Nick Nurse and front office executive Masai Ujiri failed to do so last year, but are now trying to atone for their error.

Pascal Siakam is expected to be the main man on the Toronto Raptors next season

Pascal Siakam had a relatively slow year last season, putting up 21 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists. His shooting efficiency dropped considerably, as Siakam managed to make just 45% of his field-goal attempts. The forward also failed to connect well on his three-pointers, converting just 29% of them.

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However, Pascal Siakam remains the Toronto Raptors' franchise cornerstone and will go into the 2021-22 NBA season as their talisman. He had a tough year battling injuries and COVID-19 last year, losing 20 pounds in the process. He was available for 56 of the 72 games, and Siakam missing those games was a major reason behind the Toronto Raptors failing to make the playoffs.

The Raptors' move to Tampa during a Covid-stricken season also played a role, as the franchise was unable to play a single game in their hometown. The team themselves had a poor season, in which they finished in 12th position in the Eastern Conference, failing to qualify for the postseason.

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Both Pascal Siakam and the Toronto Raptors will be eager to bounce back from a poor year, and it is difficult to rule them out of playoff contention because of the quality they possess. They were crowned NBA champions in 2019, and have the likes of Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet on an extremely balanced roster, coached by one of the best minds in the NBA in the form of Nick Nurse.