Raptors' Pascal Siakam Reportedly Benched vs. Knicks as Disciplinary Measure
The Toronto Raptors are sitting Pascal Siakam for Thursday night's matchup vs. the New York Knicks as a "disciplinary measure," per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, after Siakam "exited the floor early after fouling out Tuesday in Philadelphia."
With Siakam benched, the Raptors went with a starting lineup of Norman Powell, Kyle Lowry, Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby and Aron Baynes.
"There's a certain way we want to do things here and everyone has to be a part of that," Raptors head coach Nick Nurse told reporters after the team's 100-83 win.
The Raptors have started the 2020-21 season a disappointing 0-3, and their struggles have coincided with Siakam's slow start to the season. The star forward is averaging 18.7 points, nine rebounds and 4.7 assists per game while shooting just 39.3 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from three. Hardly horrible numbers, but Toronto needs more from its best player, especially after Siakam's All-Star campaign last year.
One of the questions facing the Raptors is whether a championship run is possible with Siakam as the headliner. That, in turn, has led to speculation that they could insert themselves into the James Harden sweepstakes this season, with Siakam as the centerpiece of a potential trade package.
They may not be alone in the Harden pursuit, if they go down that path. ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported that "a number of teams such as the Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat, Brooklyn Nets and Raptors—teams that are in the 'good not great' zone—have at least made a courtesy call to the Rockets, sources said."
That would certainly shake things up. If the Raptors continue to struggle, those courtesy calls may become more serious. Masai Ujiri already has shown the willingness to go for broke with such a move when he traded for Kawhi Leonard. While that partnership only lasted a year, it also brought the Raptors a title.
