The moment arrived in the game’s opening 12 minutes when the Raptors played host to the undermanned and underwhelming Orlando Magic on Saturday night at Scotiabank Arena.
In that first quarter, Pascal Siakam sunk a basket and passed former No. 1 overall pick Andrea Bargnani for fifth place in career scoring as a Raptor. In reality, however, it has taken much longer, with considerable work and sacrifice by Siakam, the 28-year-old power forward who has embraced the role as franchise face.
Stats are one thing, legacy quite another as Siakam’s ascension and name recognition continue to evolve and improve.
It’s too premature to delve into the ‘all-time great’ conversation, but the baller known as Spicy P has come a long way in his six-plus years in Toronto and has already earned his place among the organization’s top players.
And barring some major injury or unlikely deal involving Siakam, there’s every reason to believe this one-time rim-runner and energy presence coming off the bench has the potential to set all kinds of team records.
Of the four Raptors still ahead of him on the team’s career scoring list, no player has the overall skill set of Siakam who is, in many ways, a self-made player.
DeMar DeRozan was not known for his defence and was generally more miss than make from distance.
Vince Carter had the most explosive talent, but he caught up in the off-court politics, agenda and ego that led to his departure. Had he played longer in Toronto, his scoring numbers would never have been matched.
Chris Bosh was the franchise face, even though his game was better suited as the second or third option, a role he excelled at when teaming up with LeBron James and Dwyane Wade in Miami.
Both DeRozan and Carter will be Hall of Famers. Despite what Raptors apologists would have you believe, Kyle Lowry is a borderline Hall of Famer who was once traded to New York before the Knicks nixed the deal.
Siakam excelled in the role of second option in 2019 when Kawhi Leonard lifted the franchise to its NBA title.
But he is the primary option on this Raptors unit, a role and responsibility he will embrace for as long as he remains in Toronto.
Head coach Nick Nurse, who has seen first hand the work Siakam has put in over the years, was asked post-game Saturday if he saw the day when Siakam would rise to such lofty scoring heights.
“Probably not,’’ said Nurse. “He’s done a lot of work.”
Siakam’s ball handling skills are much improved as is his court vision. He can shoot from every spot on the floor, attack the rim and defend. In other words, there’s nothing he can’t do on the court, though the one area he can refine involves a consistent knock-down jumper from distance.
Off the court, it’s hard to glean what kind of leadership qualities Siakam has and the cache he wields inside the room — especially with Fred VanVleet currently occupying that role.
Siakam has played five games since his 10-game absence with a strained adductor muscle, looking more comfortable each time he has stepped on to the floor.
In Saturday night’s 121-108 beatdown of the Magic, Siakam played just less than 31 minutes, scoring 26 points by taking an economical 15 shots. His 10 dimes were a game high, he would add eight rebounds and make all seven of his free throws while yielding only one turnover.
On Monday night, the conference-leading Boston Celtics come to town for their first hook-up of the season. And unless the Celtics are completely out of sync, Siakam and the rest of the Raptors will be challenged much more than they were against Orlando.
The matchups are appealing, whether it’s Siakam being guarded by Jaylen Brown, O.G. Anunoby versus Jayson Tatum and whatever matchup Nurse has in store for Scottie Barnes.
The Raptors had horrific starts in road losses to the Pelicans and Nets. Then came the visit by the Magic and all was forgotten. Toronto had five dunks in the first quarter and scored 26 paint points to lead 36-22 after 12 minutes.
“They came out like a team that was determined,” Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley said. “Anunoby set the tone early.”
Anunoby made 12 of his 17 shots to pour in a game-high 32 points. He resorted to bully ball by dominating inside and posting dunks.
“I like it when he goes down there (in the post), he’s making a move and all of a sudden he’s dunking it,” added Nurse. “There’s some power to get to that spot and then there’s a lot of burst left at the end.”
fzicarelli@postmedia.com
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