Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
Pascal Siakam Says He Has a New Nickname From His Teammates
Pascal Siakam? More like, Pascal Rodman.
It was the joke the Toronto Raptors forward couldn't hold back Monday afternoon after his second straight double-digit rebounding performance on Sunday night.
"I heard they call me Pascal... they call me Pascal Rodman out there," he said as he struggled to tell the joke through his laughter.
It's been an impressive two-game stretch for Siakam who pulled down 19 rebounds on New Year's Eve and 14 on Sunday night against the New York Knicks. He said he's been talking to the coaching staff about being more aggressive on the boards these days. He's finally feeling close to full strength following offseason shoulder surgery and a bout with COVID-19 and now he's just trying to round out his game even more.
"We have a lot more guys that are a threat out there. So they're gonna shoot the ball so somebody's gotta rebound them when they don't make them," he said. "I think that I felt like 'hey, why not, just actually try to crash (the glass)' and some nights it’s gonna go my way and some nights it’s not but as long as I'm making the effort, I'm good with that."
It's not just that he's been grabbing more rebounds, he's actually generating more possessions for the Raptors by grabbing more contested rebounds than ever before. That number has jumped from 3.1 contested rebounds per game to five contested rebounds in each of his last two outings, per NBA Stats.
"Just a mentality shift in terms of being an all-around player," Siakam said. "I feel like I have that ability and not a lot of players have that ability to be able to defend, be able to pass, be able to rebound, and also score."
With his body finally getting right and his shoulder improving, Siakam is finally getting back to being the difference-maker he was before the pandemic hit and turned his life upside down.
Further Reading
Raptors get positive returns from fully-healthy rotation in blowout victory over Knicks
Scottie Barnes details his 'boring' second bout with COVID-19
