On Wednesday, when Fox Sports' Nick Wright named his top 7 players in the 2019 NBA Finals on FS1's morning show "First Thing's First", five of the top seven were Golden State Warriors. The only Raptors he named were Kawhi Leonard (2nd), and Kyle Lowry (6th). You could debate about others all day, but there is one guy who didn't make the cut that should have.
And he was the star of the last night's Game 1.
In a game, on the league's biggest stage, that featured perennial all-stars, superstars, and all-NBA defenders, 24 year old Pascal Siakam was the driving force behind the Raptors' game one victory.
All of the talk going into the game was about Kawhi Leonard, Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green - the guys who had been their before, the guys who everyone knew were going to show up, who understood the moment.
With Siakam, you didn't know. At just 24 years old and playing in his first NBA Finals - going up against multiple time all-star and champion Draymond Green, no less - one couldn't know if he would struggle in Game 1 - would nerves set in? - or rise to the occasion under the bright lights.
In the biggest spotlight of his basketball life, it proved to be the latter.
One of the top candidates for the NBA's Most Improved Player award this year - with season averages of 16.9 / 6.9 / 3.1 (points, rebounds, assists) - Siakam would be the best player on the floor in game chalk full of stars. Playing the second most minutes in the game (40 to Kawhi Leonard's 43), he scored a Raptor high 32 points, grabbed 8 rebounds (tied with Leonard for the team lead), and added 5 assists (also tied with Leonard) and 2 blocks. Perhaps most impressive was the way that Siakam got his points.
Shooting a blistering 14 of 17 from the field, he was aggressive from the start, attacking the basket in the half court and out in transition. His aggressiveness played a role in getting Draymond Green five fouls, using his length and athleticism to get to the rim. With Demarcus Cousins returning from his quad injury but only playing 8 minutes, Jordan Bell in the starting lineup and Kevon Looney playing 28 minutes off the bench, Siakam seized the opportunity to drive all night, knowing the Warriors don't have a true rim protector.
When Siakam plays the way he played last night, he is at his best. He is long and rangy and is difficult to stop in the open floor or when he drives to the basket. He can knock down three pointers, but is at his best when he is an attacker first and a three point shooter second. On a night when Kawhi Leonard, though he scored 23 points, did not have his best shooting night - 5 of 14 - and Kyle Lowry was just 2 of 9, the Raptors needed someone else to come up big.
Siakam did that. He was the reason they won last night.
Other Notes:
Marc Gasol, playing in his first ever NBA Finals, had 20 points and 7 rebounds in 30 minutes. He was 6 of 10 from the field, 2 of 4 from three point range, and 6 of 6 from the free throw line.
Fred VanVleet continued his hot play, scoring 15 points on 5 of 8 from the field.
Steph Curry got to the line a game high 14 times, and made all 14, finishing with a game high 34 points. He also hit on 4 of 9 from deep.
Draymond Green, though 2 of 9 from the field, notched another triple double, with 10 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. He averaged a triple double in the Western Conference Finals.
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