Masai Ujiri, Pascal Siakam and the question of selfish play hangs over the Raptors: ‘I don’t have any selfishness in me’
It is absurd to think that the two-time all-NBA pick was the only target of the team president’s criticism of the Raptors’ selfish performance during the previous campaign.
Pascal Siakam enjoyed every relaxed second of the summer doing what he normally does.
He traveled, spent as much time as he could with his extended family, and exercised in every gym that was open.
He disassociated from a lot of the NBA and Raptors off-season chitchat because he wanted to escape the buzz.
He decided against going to the NBA Summer League because it wouldn’t have been worth his time to put up with the endless inquiries about trade rumors and his future in Toronto.
He was working out in private with his teammates in September, away from prying eyes and endless questions he probably didn’t want to answer. There was just a new coach, a new squad, and the residual bad taste from the previous season to shake off.
The 29-year-old Siakam is prepared to approach the upcoming season like he always has, even though it comes with uncertainty, roster issues, and a rookie head coach.
I can only genuinely care about the present at this time because I’m so focused on it,” he remarked. “I’m a basketball player in terms of how we play. I’m an idealist. I’ve played basketball my entire life with the intention of succeeding and improving as a player.
“As a player, that has always been my main focus. I couldn’t give a damn about the system. You discover a way if you’re a competent player and know how to play the game. I think of myself as that kind of person.
The fact that team president Masai Ujiri again claimed that last season’s team’s failure to perform was due to a certain degree of “selfishness” will be highlighted. He has done so repeatedly since last April.
He is correct. Anyone who followed the 2022–23 Raptors could tell that something wasn’t quite right for the most of the season. There is little doubt Siakam felt the criticism, but to claim that it was directed entirely at him is absurd. “I always said last year that we didn’t play very well as a team, but individually our players do well,” Ujiri said.
I was able to see it, he said. “We just need to get along better, understand one another, and complement one another. When you see a lot of teams play, you have a good understanding of what they do, how things work, and how they carry things through.
Everyone performs their part, and that’s generally how things are. Here, it must be that way.
As Siakam enters the final year of his contract, much discussion will likely center on his contractual situation. He is qualified to negotiate a new one, which might last for four years and cost roughly $189 million (U.S.), which is an absurd amount of money.
He could wait, though. He would be eligible for a five-year, $286 million super-max deal if he ends up being selected for one of the three all-NBA teams this season. Even if the all-NBA honors don’t materialize, $189 million is a very nice fallback position for next June, so it might be worthwhile to wager on himself.
Nobody is publicly speculating about how the negotiations might proceed, “I spoke with Pascal. We haven’t yet discussed contract extensions, according to Ujiri, who added that those who represent him should handle that sort of thing. In a way, that is why I pay them; I don’t have to respond to that, said Siakam, and who knows what may transpire. However, there is no denying how Siakam views himself inside this team and what he feels he has developed into over the course of his seven seasons with Toronto.
I don’t possess any selfishness, he declared. “Coaches have never actually told me that I wasn’t coachable, wasn’t listening, or wasn’t acting appropriately on the court. And every time a coach told me I wasn’t doing anything correctly because I hadn’t done it, I’ve attempted to fix it.
“As a player, that’s kind of why I’m here today—just to learn from my mistakes and get better.”
The familiarization process for Siakam and his new coach Darko Rajakovic started with a dinner gathering in June of last year and continued last month at open gym runs.
The coach stated, “We had a terrific meeting talking about the same kind of play we are talking about now and he’s really trying. He is making a serious effort to accept it, to make judgments more quickly, and to be more aggressive when he catches the ball. Although it won’t alter over night, that process will go on forever, I believe he has a great willingness to play this kind of basketball.
He is aware that is the proper course of action for winning basketball games.
