Pascal Siakam and Giannis Antetokounmpo are similar players in the NBA. They are both athletic players born in 1994 (25 and 26 years of age, respectively) and are All-NBA players in 2020. They are also foreign-born players leading two respective franchises to the top two seeds in the eastern conference. The Milwaukee Bucks and Toronto Raptors are on a collision course (if the NBA season resumes) and despite having completely different rosters seem to have one thing in common: the man leading the charge. This article will help enlighten you on why Pascal Siakam is on the trajectory to become the next Giannis in the NBA. What do I mean by the next Giannis? Well, MVP and superstar of course! In this article, Siakam’s current season (4th season in his career) will be compared to Giannis’ fourth season in the league (2016-2017 season). Here are four reasons why Pascal Siakam is the next Giannis.
1 – Similar play styles
One thing that can’t be denied is the ability of either player getting to the rim at will. Pascal and Giannis are both oversized players with insane athletic ability (over 36 inch verticals a piece). They also have similar games off the dribble. Pascal Siakam, though the better shooter, is on pace to become as good a passer as Giannis is. In his fourth season in the league, Giannis averaged 5.4 assists per game, and currently averages 5.8. Siakam’s mere 3.6 assists per game is bound to increase as he continues to handle the ball and as Lowry continues to decline out of his prime.
2. Similar statistical output
In the 2016-2017 season, Giannis averaged 22.9 PPG, 8.8 RPG, and 5.4 APG. He wasgetting the team handed over to him by Jason Kidd, putting the ball more in his hands and running the offense through him. This led to a 42-40 record on the season and was the beginning of what would be an exciting core led by Giannis and Middleton.
This season, Pascal Siakam averaged 23.6 PPG, 7.5 RPG, and 3.6 APG. Similarly, he is getting the keys to the Raptors franchise as Kyle Lowry continues to age (slowly but having an amazing season nonetheless) and Toronto looks towards the future led by Siakam. The team is still successful, holding the second seed in the eastern conference with a 46-18 record in the coronavirus season.
3. Similar rise to success
In the 2015-2016 season, Giannis averaged 16.9 PPG as a 21 year old player. As he continued to put on muscle, his game continued to grow and his statistical output never stopped trending upward. In 2016-2017, Giannis won the most improved player. He had the following increases in statistical outputs over those two seasons: +6 PPG, +1.1 RPG, +1.1 APG. He was also a first-time All-Star that season. This was just the beginning for Giannis. From there, he went on to average 26.9, 27.7, and 29.6 PPG over the next three seasons. He would win MVP (in a few months he will be 2X MVP), and is now a 4-time All-Star, 3-time All-NBA, and 2 time All-Defensive player.
In the championship season for the Toronto Raptors (2018-2019), Siakam grew from a part of the bench mob on a top team in the east to a reliable third option on a championship team. Pascal Siakam won the most improved player award in the 2018-2019 season, and had the following statistical increases: +9.6 PPG, +2.4 RPG, +1.1 APG. Siakam would become a first-time All-Star the season after, when Kawhi Leonard left the team to join Paul George in Los Angeles. This gave Siakam the ability to develop into the first option for the Toronto Raptors, shocking the world as he lead the team towards a 60-win season. This didn’t happen due to the cancellation of the season, but Siakam’s leadership is undeniable alongside Lowry.
4. Similar Upbringing
Giannis is an international player who grew up poor in Greece. He didn’t pick up a basketball until he was 14 years old. Drafted as an 18 year old into the NBA as the 15th pick in 2013, no one knew much about him coming into the league. His work ethic and determination has led him into greatness already in the NBA. He will likely be one of fourteen players to win MVP more than once in their career. That already puts him in the upper echelon of NBA history.
As for Siakam, he is also an international player who grew up in Cameroon. Even later in his life, at the age of 17, Siakam picked up a basketball for the first time. From there, he grew into a first round draft pick in 2016 (only 5 years after starting to play basketball). He has a work ethic like Giannis, and continues to improve his game every day. He is currently an All-NBA player in the league, but what’s next for him? Can he continue on this trajectory towards MVP? I’ll leave you with a Siakam quote after winning MIP to help you think it over.
Pascal Siakam
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