Pascal Siakam on Raptors playing home games in Tampa: 'Nothing has been normal for a long time'

The Toronto Raptors are set to begin the NBA season in Tampa as travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic are keeping the team from being able to be based in Canada. But Raptors forward Pascal Siakam says that given the chaotic state of the year, the team has grown accustomed to the uncertainty.

"Nothing has been normal for a long time," Siakam told Marc J. Spears of ESPN's The Undefeated. "We are still learning. We are still adjusting."

Almost nothing about this season will be normal, as the ongoing pandemic forced the league to delay the season several months after its typical October start. And it will be the first time teams have played outside of the Orlando Bubble, meaning that players testing positive is a virtual lock. 

Still, the Raptors are in a unique position, as they are the only team in the NBA that will not be playing in their home city, at least for the start of the season. The Raptors have not played a game at Scotiabank Arena in over eight months. The Toronto Blue Jays were also unable to play home games due to the pandemic and ended up playing home games in Buffalo, N.Y. instead.

The Raptors will need to overcome the obstacle of being displaced if they hope to remain contenders in the loaded Eastern Conference. Siakam was one of the breakout stars last season, averaging 22.9 points per game, but he struggled to produce in the playoffs, averaging just 17 points while shooting less than 40% from the field.