Raptors' Pascal Siakam: 'I want to be a top-5 player in the league'
During the Toronto Raptors' media day on Monday, Pascal Siakam wrapped up his press conference by sharing a lofty goal for the upcoming NBA season.
“I’ve been All-NBA; I’ve been an All-Star. I want to be a top-5 player in the league," Siakam told reporters. "I want to be one of the best, and I’ll do everything I can to work towards that.”
Pascal Siakam: “I’ve been All-NBA; I’ve been an All-Star. I want to be a top-5 player in the league. I want to be one of the best, and I’ll do everything I can to work towards that.” 👀
— BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) September 26, 2022
Via @StarSports ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/CUkTMcmD84
Siakam has earned two All-NBA nods, and he helped the Raptors win a championship in 2019. Last season, the 28-year-old averaged 22.8 points, 8.5 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.3 steals, 1.1 threes and 0.6 blocks, while shooting 49.4% from the field, 34.4% from three-point range and 74.9% from the free-throw line.
Last season, the Raptors were 48-34, which was the fifth-best record in the Eastern Conference. Toronto boasted the NBA's 11th-best defense (allowing 107.9 points per 100 possessions) and 16th-best offense (scoring 109.6 points per 100 possessions).