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Ex-Toronto Raptors Star Pascal Siakam Just Got a Major Compliment from Draymond Green
May 23, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) shoots against New York Knicks forward Mikal Bridges (25) in the second quarter during game two of the eastern conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Ex-Toronto Raptors Star Pascal Siakam Just Got a Major Compliment from Draymond Green

Originally posted on Toronto Raptors on SI
By Aaron Rose  |  Last updated May 24, 2025 11:31 AM ET

Draymond Green doesn’t admit defeat often. So when he does, it matters.

Only two players, he says, have ever dominated him in a playoff series: Julius Randle earlier this month and Pascal Siakam during the 2019 NBA Finals.

Speaking on TNT after Indiana’s Game 2 win over the Knicks, Green had high praise for the former Raptors All-Star, who erupted for 39 points to lead the Pacers to a 2–0 advantage in the second round. Siakam, Green said, is the only other player who has truly had his number in a playoff series.

“He’s a very tough cover,” Green said. “As soon as you touch his body, he’ll spin off you. You can never get leverage on him. … When we played Toronto, his championship … he destroyed me. And it’s hard to figure out, because it’s not like a set play where you can key on one move. It’s just like random action, and he finds a way to get the points.”

That unpredictability was on full display Friday night. Siakam powered Indiana on 15-for-23 shooting, scoring at all three levels while taking on OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges. He beat his former Raptors teammate with a pair of smooth pull-up jumpers, drilled three three-pointers, and attacked the rim in transition with the same fearless rhythm that helped Toronto win it all five years ago.

What makes Siakam so dangerous, Green noted, is his ability to score without needing plays run for him. He is constantly moving, cutting, pushing the pace, and exploiting mismatches with his combination of length and skill.

“Pascal Siakam is the most underrated player in the league,” Charles Barkley added during the broadcast.

Now, Siakam is two wins away from another trip to the NBA Finals, this time as a centrepiece of a surging Pacers team. He continues to exceed expectations, just as he always has.

Further Reading


This article first appeared on Toronto Raptors on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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