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The Toronto Raptors’ Fred VanVleet was all praise for Pascal Siakam’s recent NBA return, claiming the team is excited to have him back. Siakam has not played in the NBA since suffering a shoulder injury during the latter stages of the regular season last year. He was ruled out for the Toronto Raptors’ preseason and the first few matches and recently made his return during their loss to the Brooklyn Nets.
However, the 2021 All-Star was singled out as a franchise player by Fred VanVleet. He claimed that Siakam is still the Raptors’ franchise player and is absolutely crucial to their overall chances this season. Siakam started against the Nets but looked rusty with his shooting and can be expected to get back into the groove in the coming matches.
Fred VanVleet claims Pascal Siakam is still Toronto Raptors’ franchise player
Against the Nets, Siakam played for a little over 25 minutes, finishing with 15 points, four assists and three rebounds. The Raptors were beaten convincingly after a 31-point Kevin Durant performance. The likes of Blake Griffin and James Harden recorded double-doubles, with the latter adding 28 points and 10 rebounds.
Despite the loss, Fred VanVleet outlined Pascal Siakam’s importance to the Toronto Raptors, claiming that it was good for the Raptors to have PF back.
“It’s been a while. It is good to see him out there. We need him obviously. I thought he looked good. He gonna keep finding his feet, his legs. For the first game I thought he looked pretty good. So, just good to have him out there.”
The Raptors started the season with a 6-5 record and only have OG Anunoby currently averaging more than 20 points per game. Fred VanVleet has had a few poor shooting nights recently that have led them to a two-game losing streak. Regardless, VanVleet thought that Pascal Siakam looked good against the Nets, considering it was his very first game:
You kinda forget how much he can do and what he brings to the team. Obviously, he is our franchise players and we are not gonna get anywhere without him. So, it’s a good start, and we are thinking to win. It is good to have him out there.”
Regardless, with their biggest stars now fit again, the Toronto Raptors will be looking to shrug off their recent losses and defensive issues and go on a winning run. Of course, that might prove challenging considering that they are scheduled to play against the Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers in their next games.
