Washington Wizards Bilal Coulibaly just took a shot at former Raptor Pascal Siakam.
Coulibaly called Siakam the most overrated player in the league during a recent interview with RMC Sport.
Coulibaly did credit Siakam for being strong but said that he found it easy to anticipate his movements and defended well against him.
Siakam had a strong showing against Coulibaly in the Raptors two matchups against Washington. Siakam had a 39-point game back in November on 15-for-23 shooting and then a month later he had 22 points leading the Raptors to a 30-point victory over Washington.
Coulibaly wasn’t the primary defender on Siakam in these matchups, instead it was Kyle Kuzma. Siakam shot 10-for-14 when defended by Kuzma, per NBA Stats.
It’s strange that Coulibaly would call Siakam overrated when his resume speaks for itself. Siakam is a two-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA and won the most improved player award in 2019 along with a championship with the Raptors.
This season Siakam averaged 21.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game. Siakam is averaging 23.0 points, 9.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 5 games in the 2024 playoffs for the Indiana Pacers.
Meanwhile, Coulibaly averaged 8.4 points, 1.7 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game this past season for the Wizards. He was selected with the No. 8 pick in last year’s draft after spending two seasons with the Metropolitans 92 in France.
Siakam has a chance to respond to Coulibaly’s recent comments when the Pacers take on the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 6 on May 2.
Darko Rajakovic giving players three weeks off prior to working out again
The Toronto Raptors are entering a youth movement led by head coach Darko Rajakovic.
There is a lot to be excited about with Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett being the core of the team. They also have Rajakovic, who is a player’s coach and connects with all his players well.
Being able to have a coach that is respected by the players is crucial for the Raptors’ success. A situation familiar with Rajakovic, who handled the early stages of the rebuild with the Memphis Grizzlies.
Following their last game of the 2023-24 season on April 14, Rajakovic said that he is giving his players three weeks off before getting back to work.
More must-reads: