The Toronto Raptors went a little bit off the board with the 27th overall pick, selecting Cameroonian PF Pascal Siakam.
The 6-9, 230lb big man just completed his senior year at New Mexico State. He’s a bruiser that plays most of his game around the basket. He averaged 20 points and 11 rebounds per game in his final year of college, while shooting 67 per cent. While he can pummel down low, he can also run the floor on the fast break.
Siakam was projected to go sometime in the second round, so the choice was a surprise. Two players, Michigan State’s Deyonta Davis and Kentucky’s Skal Labissiere, were two notable players still sitting in the green room as the Raptors announced their picks. In the end, Raptors GM chose the guy he wanted, regardless of who else was on the table.
This was Toronto’s second pick of the first round. The team took Jakob Poeltl 9th overall.
