Pascal Siakam - Mesmerizingly Multitalented (Most Improved Player)

Pascal Siakam was born in Douala, Cameroon. He was discovered by Luc Richard Mbah a Moute at a local camp and eventually got an invite to attend the NBA Basketball Without Borders camp. He impressed so much that he eventually would be mentored by Mbah a Moute, moved to Texas to finish out high school, and then following a three year stint (one medical redshirt season) at New Mexico State, made it to the NBA. His story, like his on-court effort, is nothing short of amazing. There’s a sort of magic with the 27th pick in the NBA draft: Defensive Player of the Year winners like Rudy Gobert and Dennis Rodman (in 1986, that meant being taken in the second round), key contributors on NBA championship teams such as Kendrick Perkins and Sasha Vujacic, and rising stars like Siakam and Kyle Kuzma, were all taken at that spot. He’s already a former D-League Most Valuable Player and D-League Champion (2017), so if Pascal can continue to put it all together, he is potentially as tantalizing a talent that has ever been taken at 27.

In the 2017-18 season, Siakam averaged 7.3 points per game on 50.8% shooting from the field, and 22.0% from 3 point range, and 62% from the line, with 4.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game in 81 games played. This season, his numbers are as follows: 16.9 points per game, 54.9% on field goals, 36.9% from deep, 78.5% from the line, with 6.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game in 80 games (79 starts). Think about those stats for a moment. To quote Zach Lowe in his article listing that he voted Scal as the Most Improved Player (link to article below): “critics who paint Siakam as a wallflower mooching off the greatness of Kawhi Leonard and Kyle Lowry haven't paid attention. Leonard and Lowry have missed 39 combined games, and their absences have not often overlapped. That has nudged Siakam into something like a floating second-option role, and some alpha duty when the one remaining star rests.”

Lowe later states: ”He also has a claim as Toronto's best defender this season. (The engaged version of Leonard will presumably retake that status in the playoffs.) Toronto's points allowed per possession when the opponent involves Siakam in any action -- isolations, post-ups, either end of a pick-and-roll -- are off-the-charts good, per Second Spectrum. He can switch across every position.”
I understand and recognize most people think that D’Angelo Russell is the sexy pick for Most Improved, but this is a young man who has filled in admirably in the absence of two CURRENT NBA All-Stars, on a team that has the second best record in the NBA. D’Angelo (rightfully) earned himself an All-Star berth and brought Brooklyn back to the promised land that is the playoffs, but, to quote the great Zach Lowe one last time: “Siakam is averaging 10 more points per game than last season. Russell has become a better version of the player he already was. Siakam is a different player entirely.”

All clips from the 2018/19 regular season

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/26481556/zach-lowe-2018-19-nba-awards-ballot-winners-tight-races

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