Title: Pascal Siakam shakes off mini-slump against Knicks: ‘I’m excited about it, getting back to being who I am’
Date: January 24, 2020
Original Source: The Athletic
Synopsis: In my latest for The Athletic Toronto, I wrote about Pascal Siakam bouncing back from a tough stretch to lift the Raptors against the Knicks and reaffirm his All-Star status.
NEW YORK — It took all of a minute for Pascal Siakam to look like the player who was named an All-Star starter Thursday night.
Siakam’s big coronation as a bona fide star, as voted by fans, media and his fellow players, came somewhat ironically in the midst of his first slump in significant time. His growth has been so consistent and uniquely linear that a stumble was hard to reconcile. Every new step and every new obstacle had been, quite swiftly, overcome. When Siakam returned from an 11-game absence caused by a groin injury, the assumption was that he’d pick up where he left off, because he’d rarely taken one step back even after five, six or seven steps forward.
“It takes time, man,” Kyle Lowry said after the 118-112 victory against the Knicks. “It takes time to get a rhythm back. He was out a month, and it takes time to get it going again and once he got going, he’s a pretty good player. He’s an All-Star starter.”
Blake Murphy Sports Writing 