Will Pascal Siakam make an All-NBA team?

After a scintillating performance in a huge game vs. the Cavaliers, it's time to look at how realistic Pascal Siakam's chances are at making an All-NBA team. Follow Yahoo Sports Canada for more Raptors coverage.

Video Transcript

- Barnes backs in, kicks it. Pascal the 3-- good!

And Pascal the 3, good!

Here's Pascal. Turns, fires-- it's his night!

IMMAN ADAN: I want to talk about someone that I'm sure you're not very worried with, and that is Pascal Siakam and his just stellar play. So tonight against the Cavs, he had 35 points, six assists, five boards, 60% field goal percentage, and was 6 of 7 from deep. Just an insane game from Siakam. What are your thoughts?

SANDRA APPIAH: If that 3 is back, the league's in trouble, right? Because that's the only thing that was pretty much missing from the last couple of weeks.

IMMAN ADAN: The repertoire, the bag.

SANDRA APPIAH: The 3 [? wasn't ?] really hitting. But if those 3's are back, I'm worried for the rest of the league. Like, Pascal has something to prove, I feel like.

I don't think he's playing with a chip on his shoulder, but I do think he feels undervalued and underappreciated. And he's proving why he deserved the All-Star nod that he got in that year that he got it, and why he deserved it this year, and why he deserves an All-NBA spot. Like, he's just-- any doubts or questions you might have had about Pascal, he's shut them all down, literally.

IMMAN ADAN: Entirely. And I'm completely with you. In Pascal Siakam's All-NBA season, he had that pull up 3. He was taking 3's off the dribble.

And then last season, we saw catch and shoot was at, like-- cratered. And it was really battered.

SANDRA APPIAH: Plummeted.

IMMAN ADAN: And now we're seeing-- we're seeing it sort of come back, especially like, catch and shoot 3. And it's going to be so important for him to have that playing with this all-6' 9" lineup that has such limited spacing.

SANDRA APPIAH: Yeah.

IMMAN ADAN: And I know this is kind of focusing in on the offseason, but I think people forget that Pascal hasn't had a real summer in a very long time.

SANDRA APPIAH: That's a good point. You're right.

IMMAN ADAN: He was injured, there was the bubble.

SANDRA APPIAH: Right.

IMMAN ADAN: And then even the championship season, that was his last real summer. And that's a shortened summer anyway because you are the last team standing. So he hasn't had a full summer.

And as Raptor fans, we've seen it with DeMar DeRozan. We've seen what summers can do for a guy developing another element of his game. And I'm excited for what Pascal Siakam can do this summer and bring it into next year. So hopefully, he stays healthy, knocking on all kinds of wood.

SANDRA APPIAH: Yeah.

IMMAN ADAN: Yeah, like-- [KNOCKING]

SANDRA APPIAH: Please, lord.

IMMAN ADAN: So-- because I'm with you. Now, you did talk about the All-NBA spot. I hate to say, went through it--

SANDRA APPIAH: What?

IMMAN ADAN: Went through it, and I just don't know if he makes--

SANDRA APPIAH: He has to make third team. Like, I'm not expecting him to make first or second. But I think--

IMMAN ADAN: So here's why--

SANDRA APPIAH: --he just has to make--

IMMAN ADAN: Here's why. I think if the positions were very linear, if it was this person is a center, this person is a forward, this person is a guard, and if you are that position, you have to make the team that way-- that's the case, I think he has a shot at third team. I think he can make it there.

The problem is, in order to get both Jokic and Embiid on the first team, like they're going to want to do--

SANDRA APPIAH: Yeah.

IMMAN ADAN: --that's taking away one forward spot.

SANDRA APPIAH: Yeah.

IMMAN ADAN: Because both of those guys are centers. So now you're down one forward spot. Also, in trying to fit in-- so then you also have to counter-- LeBron and Kevin Durant are also two guaranteed forwards. So now you're down three forward spots.

Going through it, Luka, they're going to put him at the forward spot as well. You can say he's a guard. I think he's going to come in in the forward spot. It's just all of these guys that maybe play a different position, play center-- Embiid/Jokic-- play a more guard position, the guy with the ball in his hands at all times, although yeah, you could say Luka's a forward. These are guys that are going to take the forward spots.

And that's going to make things very, very dicey for Pascal Siakam to get in.

SANDRA APPIAH: Yeah, no, I mean, that's a good point. And I think that argument calls into question why they don't just pick the best players regardless--

IMMAN ADAN: Get rid of positions.

SANDRA APPIAH: --of position, and just have-- just choose the best players in the league, that's it. I don't know why you have to force these positions.

IMMAN ADAN: And also, because the Raptors don't have a center, if you actually go to Basketball-Reference and you filter through how many games or possessions or whatever Pascal's actually playing the five, he should technically qualify as a five. It's just no one sees him that way, and he's not going to make it that way.

SANDRA APPIAH: No.

IMMAN ADAN: He's got to make it in as a forward. And so things are dicey. But I do think he has a really, really good shot at it, still. And if he continues this play, this is undeniable. I don't know how--

SANDRA APPIAH: I know.

IMMAN ADAN: --people can ignore what he's doing right now. But it'll be tight.

SANDRA APPIAH: Yeah, but I think-- man, if he continues playing like this, there's no way you can leave him off the list. Like, there's just no way. Like, somebody's going to have to be booted off because you can't leave--

IMMAN ADAN: [INAUDIBLE] [? Gobert. ?]

SANDRA APPIAH: --Pascal off the list when he's playing like this. And I hope those watching who actually have a vote are paying attention to the Raptors. Because the Raptors are playing really well, and it's because Pascal is leading the team, so--

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