Fans have constantly debated if Pascal Siakam and Scottie Barnes can successfully co-exist on the Toronto Raptors for the past two seasons. The debate started mere seconds after the announcement that the Raptors were selecting Scottie Barnes with the 4th overall pick in the 2021 NBA entry draft when Kendrick Perkins immediately suggested the Raptors were going to trade Pascal Siakam as Barnes was lined up to replace him. Since the draft, both players have flourished individually with Pascal Siakam earning an All-Star spot and an All-NBA appearance in the last year and Scottie Barnes earning Rookie of the Year honors for the 21-22 season. Though team success has been up and down, last night’s win against the Miami heat was further proof that not only can Pascal Siakam and Scottie Barnes co-exist successfully but perhaps the two can help each other be at their best on the court.
This debate was reignited during the Raptors’ recent win over the Washington Wizards when Wizards broadcaster and former NBA player claimed that they could not co-exist together and that Masai Ujiri and the team should move on from Pascal Siakam to make Barnes the centerpiece of the organization. This video shows why that opinion and the opinions of many others around the NBA are wrong.
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0:00 – Overview
1:06 – This Wizards announcer speaks out
2:26 – Are Siakam and Barnes too similar?
3:18 – Is Scottie Barnes the franchise player?
4:45 – The importance of maintaining relevancy
5:34 – Is Siakam the problem?
7:04 – Why they CAN co-exist
8:53 – Why the current starting five works
10:02 – Scottie Barnes WITHOUT Pascal Siakam
11:31 – How to get Barnes to the next level
12:32 – Co-existing successfully
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28 Comments
It’s a psy-op to destroy the team
A roster move that could ACTUALLY help this team is giving Jeff Dowtin a standard contract, I spoke about it in my previous video: https://youtu.be/T0oBR8t5tC0
You streaming anytime?
Really enjoy your commentary. No biases, no agenda. Just pure Raps content.
They can play together, but if you put this duo along with Poeltl at the floor on the same time, it creates a huge spacing problem. To remedy this, they need to fill their bench with shooters.
That’s funny they ARE coexisting lol shiiiiiit I can’t wait for the playoffs play in I don’t care
Agreed
IRAQ I dinar
The NBA league doesn’t want the Raptors to succeed we know that when Kawhi came here he wasn’t supposed to succeed it was a failing move. You look at all the 29 team wanted all our players and talking about trading for Duds believe it or not the whole NBA look at us as the outsiders it’s Canada 🇨🇦 Vs USA we see it in referring
Everyone forgets this team has Otto Porter Jr. With him on the bench the record would at least be a few games better, which would mean a record similar to the Knicks. Let alone imagine if we had Poeltl since the beginning. This team is a few shooters away from being a top 4 team in the East next season if Porter (40% career from 3) is healthy.
Scottie is such an adaptable player who can play well with and without the ball. Find his spots and run the offence because of his high basketball IQ. Siakam did the same in terms of finding his spots, when Kawhi was here. Especially with Scottie's point abilities, they can and will work extremely well together, I think their skill sets will allow them to feed off each other and become a seriously threatening duo.
I said this in day one. When these two figure out how each other works you won’t stop them. Trade Fred and get an elite scorer in the starting line up and it’s chips for years.
Fred is nice but he’s not the dude for this team.
We will win this year, my money is on the RAPTORS, I don't have any doubt,we've got big Yak And a tons of wings who are overdue to start making shots.
I still stand my opinion when I say is I think the Raps need to make a choice. They need to choose who to build the team around scottie Barnes between OG and Pascal. Yes they can all co-exist BUT they are all very similar and with the wrong holes around them I still believe we need to move one of them to aquire players to fill said holes. I still believe the Raps are gonna probably resign FVV and probably let GTJ leave via free agency. The market for GTJ SHOULD price the raps out of his market given the fact we’re gonna probably resign FVV and Jak and future contracts of everyone else. The
I still feel this team needs an actual shooting SG who can get his own shot and create offence and is athletic and play solid defence. We all know this team also needs bench players. Otto Porter coming back and converting Jeff Dowtins contract and who ever we draft will definitely help the bench next season. For me, I feel OG is gonna have more trade value given his plug and play way and his defence, not to mention how on demand wings are. Theirs gonna be wings available on the draft to help soften the blow of losing OG and yes I realize it’ll be a young player and yes I know we won’t be drafting a player of OGs caliber but you gotta look at this in the bigger picture. You add a guard (around OGs age preferably) more then likely draft capital and you draft a kid this year to develop with Scottie going forward.
This is all just my opinion on what I believe the team should do. They will be better next season.
Perkins making those comments , what makes him the authority… but I agree that Barnes is the future Siakam is no. 2 option
no they cant
That is a well-thought perspective. Siakam should not be seen as holding back Barnes because he is our main guy. To add to that, Barnes must develop into a wing defensive stopper who can guard the team's best scorer. I'm not seeing that in him yet.
Siakam and Barnes can't co-exist and its very obvious regardless of what your opinion is. Siakams low IQ and selfish play is making it worse. O.G. already wants out and it's very obvious that Pascal is the main reason why he wants out.
Scottie is underrated
their co existing off of pure talent, but it doesn't take away the fact that's it a problem that's been holding this offence back all year, they are the sole reason for the scoring droughts and lack of spacing that can OG Fred Poetlt could really benefit from having, but what do people expect they are literally PFs being forced to adapt constantly. It hurts the team more then it hurts them, l bet if u swap barnes for a true SG or SF siakam would average the same numbers and are starting 5 would unlock it's true potential with the right profound spacing provided .
Bruh… Scottie da homie.. But work on that jump shot…. Scottie work on that fucking jump shot….!!!!!!
Not compatible? How about double threat? Not everybody can be ON every night. I know this isn't your take, and it's commentary on the takes that are out there. But I don't see the harm in having them playing together or being on the same team, at least right now and in the short term.
See how they both do. Make the transition if needed when the time comes. Of course cap will be a factor, but cap is slated to rise considerably.
Socctie has a mid range game beyond his years, and P has also brought that in with his spin move, along with being able to go left/right now. Middies are underrated. They're viewed as inefficient because most bums can't add it to their bag. If it's money, it's money. Why get bodied when you have that turnaround fade? Scottie already has this move pretty decent at 21. Pascal has that and some other go-to moves.
Let it play out for a while.
Not sure I agree with this.
In the modern NBA, even having one player in the starting lineup that can't shoot is bad. Scottie and Siakam is two, to say nothing of Jakob who the front office added to start as well. That's 3 non-shooters. You simply can't compete like that.
Then you have to consider OG, who is a good shooter in his own right but has zero iso game, cannot get passed his man and generally does not put pressure on the rim at all. Vanvleet has more or less the same weakness as OG, although he is better with the ball in his hands.
So yeah, I don't think they can co-exist. Not on a championship contender, anyway. Siakam is better as of right now, there's not debating that. But they both score in the same ways, operate in the same place on the floor and do a lot of the same things on offense with Siakam being a much better shooter from midrange and a better defender.
The roster is still imbalanced, Barnes Siakam co-existence is not the main issues. backup Point and Shooting Guard positional depth is a major biggest problem (too many unskilled forwards on the bench) and Nurses Odman line-ups with broken offensive structure.
Very Good points keep up the Great Work!
Raptors without Siakam would be a better team, not to mention Scottie taking a bigger role we'd be even better. Only casuals and people who like watching isolation stat padding ball instead of team play disagree.
Scottie Barnes wants to be an All Star. He wants to be an All NBA player. He’s 3rd in touches and time of possession behind Fred and Pascal. How long until he becomes disgruntled?
Hey dude, just here to say I appreciate your content and I am honoured to have you take my suggestion and make changes to your videos. I enjoy your content even more now.
Keep up the good work fam!