'I thought I should have been there': Pascal Siakam on becoming an All-Star

Raptors forward Pascal Siakam discusses becoming an All-Star as an injury replacement, Jakob Poeltl's defensive impact and more.

Video Transcript

- What was your reaction to finding out that you will be heading for the All-Star game?

PASCAL SIAKAM: I mean, I think for me like obviously I thought I should have been there. But it is what it is. Now like I'm sure for me the most important now is like my family be excited. Like they get a free trip somewhere. And they get to have some fun, enjoy it.

- Weren't they going to get one anyway?

PASCAL SIAKAM: Hang out. Huh?

- Weren't they going to get one somewhere else anyway? Somewhere warmer?

PASCAL SIAKAM: No, we don't just go on vacation for no reason. So now they get to have a-- they always enjoy those things like those events and things like that. So just excited for them to enjoy it.

- But you've been two games now with Jakob back and one starting, one to go. I mean, how does he change what you guys can do defensively? And how much more confident do you feel out there defensively with him back protecting the rim?

PASCAL SIAKAM: I think like I said the other day, we have to all do our jobs, like guarding the ball. And I just think, again, like just having a bigger body like just makes a difference for us, like someone that can alter shots and someone that is strong down there, can push those other bigs around. And again, if I'm not guarding a five or Scottie's not guarding the five, like that's even better. So I think that like it's going to help us.

- As not bringing moments in participation a lot of time, in the way things unfold with different players?

PASCAL SIAKAM: I mean, no, I think those coaches are professional, you know. Again, we have a talented coaching staff. And all of those guys I'm sure, put in the situation, can be good. So obviously like we hope and we want them to be back. But I think the guys, congrats to AG, just from practice to the game, like he did, he did everything right, prepared for the game, and, yeah, like it was good. It was good and I'm happy for him.

- Again, last year, man, when you did a lot of blocking, you got some things good, pretty hard now but in practice, how are you guys getting, how have things changed this year?

PASCAL SIAKAM: Oh, man, it was some good games. Obviously they played very well. And they play great good basketball. They have a lot of talent. And I just think that, again, like from then we're a different team also. So it'll be a good match-up in playing against those guys, and a lot of wings. And we have a lot of wings also, so, yeah, it'll be a fun match-up I think.

- What do you is the biggest improvement since the last time you guys played them?

PASCAL SIAKAM: I don't know. I don't remember what happened. Those last games, like I don't know the difference to be honest with you. But I think that, again, like we're playing better basketball. And I just feel like, yeah, we're a different team, like and I don't know exactly how. But I think so.

- Pascal, is it--

- You've obviously been pretty down out of the entire game. What did you make of how the team responded in terms of how hard?

PASCAL SIAKAM: Yeah, I think we've been through a lot of ups and downs and highs and lows. And one thing that like I always say, I don't know. I read it somewhere. It was like try to have high lows like, you know, like where it's like you have a low point. But you don't just act like it's the end of the world. You know, you try to take the good out of whatever we did. Again, like we played a really good game. And unfortunately like the last, what, 6-7 minutes of the game, we didn't play our best basketball.

But when things like that happen, we can't let that part just take away everything else that we did good. So I think that everyone was just focused on that. Some of the guys, you know, Freddie talked about it. The coaches talked about it, and we just rallied back. And again, like we want to win every single game, before, it was like, you know, and not this time around. But we got to continue to focus one game at a time and not get too attached to like bad plays or bad games. So we just got to keep moving on.

- That every reference the same that you hope guys embrace the feel of this stuff, something you said specifically, but when did you take that?

PASCAL SIAKAM: No, I think, again, that's kind of like for me like what is kind of like my motto, and like in wanting to just continue to fight through everything. Like you go through a lot of adversities and you go through tough times. And you have to break through.

And I think that that's the only way, putting the work in every single day and understanding that it's going to be hard. And we are in a hard position. But if someone can do it, it's going to be us. I bet on us and them, sorry, Freddie. Sorry for that.

- Is there any pressure or do you see that comes with like the position you're in and just sign off weekly when you take that language?

PASCAL SIAKAM: What happened?

- Do you guys feel any pressure urgency going into this back stretch of the season and trying to figure this out right now, like making as many moves?

PASCAL SIAKAM: I mean, it's like, yeah, I don't know. Like again, like do you ask me questions that I don't know the answer to, how they do their jobs. And our job is to play basketball. And I think that that's what we want to do every single day. I don't think we really think about anything else but going out there and trying to win games.