The Most Awkward NBA Media Day Ever

Pascal Siakam had an awkward moment at Toronto Raptors media day this year. His front office called him and the rest of the team out in front of the media but his response made things worse. This is a look at what this all means for the future of Pascal and the Raptors.

[@kevinmao7559]

If you watched the raptors last season, you know pascal did all he could. The one who played selfish left to go to Houston

[@maxmeier532]

You're really wrong for saying that. Masai is handling it as a business and that's his perogative. Same goes for the players. Vanvleet left in free agency and got a great deal from Houston that Toronto didnt want to give him. In the coming 3 years he'll make more money in Houston than he did in Toronto in the 7 previous years in total. It's a great deal because at the end of the deal he'll be 33 years old which is a great age for a PG to get a final big contract. He was in Toronto 7 years, they dont have any chance of competing for even the conference finals, so he's getting the bag elsewhere.

[@Bilbo_361]

@@maxmeier532 it's not about that, it's about passing bro.

[@dansass4255]

@@maxmeier532he still demanded the ball though which is what this posters point was.

[@maxmeier532]

Ok. Didnt catch that. I understand that even less. It's a problem for the starting 5 PG to "demand the ball", when he avg 7 asts and 20 points per game? @@dansass4255

[@BlackMarvel25]

Wait are you really saying Fred van vleet was the problem? Come on man.

[@Matt-nw2te]

He said “WE WERE SELFISH”. Fred was a huge part of that selfishness

[@lukenmead-roberts5165]

Fr I was screaming at the tv whenever he decided to play hero ball in close games 😭

[@adamk3306]

He was absolutely terrible last year.

[@MrDiMES123]

Fred had no choice

[@rulz2663]

@@MrDiMES123 lol. There’s always a choice… he chose to put himself before the team.

[@adamk3306]

@MrDiMES123 he had plenty of choices, he was playing for himself.

[@bipnip]

I'm a raptor fan and I appreciate your take on this. We've needed a rebuild for a couple years now. After losing Kawhi and Lowry we had no hope to win another ring but Masai wants to keep thinking he can make something from nothing. He needs to learn to adapt, or find someone who can.

[@colem2345]

the fact you mention lowry's name like it had anything to do with him lmfao

[@JuanGarcia-bz3lj]

We were in the same spot as a spurs fan. Had to move on from Murray. Hope it works out for y’all

[@seki0123]

Same with Hawks. They are not good enough to contend, but not bad enough for lottery. It’s hard to blow up a team when you feel like you are only one or two good players away from contending. Meanwhile, the contending teams make aggressive moves to build super team with 3 superstar or all star teams. Sadly, It’s frustrating to support the team that is building the right way. It will be interesting to know how these super teams will sustain itself when the CBA kick in…

[@taylorgordon2696]

It’s about making money. He kept the raptors relevant enough to make money. Masai made the right choice not signing Fred, pascal isn’t worth the money either

[@Andrewjs2187]

Especially considering y'all got fortunate getting the young talent in Scottie Barnes and great assets. It won't be hard for y'all to immediately become a rebuilding team with great assets.

[@Quantum_Humanics]

Man he was obviously calling out the team rather than singling out Pascal. Your better than that.

[@dai6419]

Cap

[@oscarbenitah4718]

he implied it

[@DJReddyFox]

@@oscarbenitah4718 no he didn't, did you watch the whole press conference?

[@JamaalDaGreatest]

Yeah this was stupid dawg, it’s why I rarely watch his videos

[@ishyameru6232]

If he's the GM he needs to get some better players for the team, that would help the situation instead of throwing your star under the bus

[@AW-xv7dq]

That selfishness was driven by the lack of a viable offensive scheme. Ended up in ISO ball that left it in the hands of Pascal and FVV. Also the 40 minutes of court time per game. Nurse gone is a good thing to move to sharing the rock.

[@5fingerdpunchfan]

Nurse definitely lost the locker room last year. You could tell by his body language and that of the players. He’s capable of running a cohesive ball sharing offence but they wound up running top 3 in isolation plays last year while ranking almost last in iso scoring

[@basketballexpert4584]

@@5fingerdpunchfanso was pascal selfish?

[@Bandicoot19]

I would go further to say the lack of personnel is what led to the lacklustre offensive scheme. This all falls on Masai and this “selfish” narrative he’s trying to push is him trying to weasel his way out of the mess he created

[@lemonlazer5687]

@@Bandicoot19 I wouldnt say its entirely his mess. Hedging their bets on Kawhi was a blessing and a curse. 1 chip for years of the franchise in reverse once he darted out after a year in FA. Still most would take that deal

[@Bandicoot19]

@@lemonlazer5687 I don’t blame him for the Kawhi situation and that’s not what I’m referring to either. My problem is that he refuses to pick a direction for the long/short term and while he’s not doing that he’s building terribly constructed rosters than scapegoating others when that shit doesn’t work. Not once have I seen him take accountability for the mediocrity he’s thrown out the last 3 years going on 4 now

[@dsabo063]

You do realize that we can only give him a max right now and if he makes an all NBA team he is eligible for a super max, yeah? Obviously not based on this video. The lack of research by KZbin producers never ceases to amaze me. You’re better than this, usually.

[@cissem4025]

hes not making all-nba with the position less change

[@FilledWithDetermination]

Ive been saying for about 4 years Pascal is one of the best 2nd options in the league, ive been saying for about 2 years TRADE THAT MAN STOP WASTING HIS PRIME. Nothing to do with my estimation of Pascal as a player, everything to do with team situation/timeline.

[@caonhavu]

Allegedly, Pascal said that he wasn't going to sign an extension with any team that traded for him. If true, it would have been tough to get a fair market value for him.

[@RM-wq6uv]

Huh? Wasting his prime? Man one a ring with the only team he been on

[@FilledWithDetermination]

@@RM-wq6uv And has been drowning in mediocrity without a 1st option even since.

[@MyRadiantMorning]

You are not making sense. Every team has a number two, and for us the challenge is to find us a number one. How many teams in the NBA have a number one?

[@FilledWithDetermination]

@@MyRadiantMorning It literally comes down to this, I love Pascal (fan player relationship) one of my favs in the league. I feel weve been wasting his talent and id be happier to see him go to a contender where he can be fully appreciated. Obviously id be even happier to see him contend wth us but I have no idea how tf that can even happen atm. How many teams have a #1? Thats a smidge broad, im gonna assume you mean championship caliber #1, after looking at the teams id say 15 and I feel like I lowballed that.

[@Apty19]

I’m a huge raptors fan and you’re absolutely right about the state of the franchise. Masai has been incredible but he is taking the team in the wrong direction now because he is either unwilling or unable to adapt to a changing landscape. That was partly why Nurse got fired, he was the wrong coach for the era that the Raps are in. Really need to tear down and start anew. Rediscover the energy and aura that made this team one of the best of league. Sometimes just need a change in leadership to make that happen but if we continue on the course we’re on right now the future looks very bleak.

[@carbiv]

was never good in the first place, just got lucky with kawhi and that team was able to miraculously win due to injuries on opposing teams. If that team didnt win the chip, which they wouldnt have if kd or klay didnt get injured, masai would have been out of there a year or two ago

[@taylorgordon2696]

@@carbivif ifs and buts were candy and nuts we’d all have a merry Christmas 😂 Raptors 2019 champs baby

[@caonhavu]

They were obviously good enough to represent the Eastern Conference so...@@carbiv

[@carbiv]

@@taylorgordon2696 alright tubby put down the shane gillis and listen to what I was saying. If the raptors lose the finals, which very likely would have happened if KD or Klay were not injured, Masai would have an entirely different perception. Im not saying the players werent great, Im making a point about the credit the GM gets for his players showing up at the right time. Masai shouldnt receive the level of praise he gets from getting kawhi. That's really all he's done. He let FVV walk for free. He doesnt know how to make trades. The raptors have been slowly falling apart since 2019. If he never won a chip, he wouldnt have the reputation as a top GM around the league. And the raptors just barely won the chip. He has not done anything trade-wise since 2019 to improve the team whatsoever or even get value from the players that leave.

[@Apty19]

@@carbiv winning is winning man. History will show a W and an L. Won’t show “barely winning” or “injuries”. As for the Kawhi trade, he did a lot to put the team in a position of success. You’re forgetting the Bargnani trade, the Rudy Gay trade, getting Gasol, getting Ibaka. A lot of GMs have tried to go all in and have not been successful. He deserves respect for what he’s done but needs to change course now.

[@camnewton5550]

I agree it was a super awkward moment for pascal 😂

[@goodeye5226]

He deserved it after last year. Fred and Pascal played selfishly. So happy that Fred is gone.

[@camnewton5550]

@@goodeye5226 no so much pascal compared to fred, he was just chucking up shots like he was kwahi but he doesn’t have his accuracy

[@jacobisaac9934]

​@@camnewton5550yes Pascal was selfish he routinely looked off teammates to go one on one and when off ball, he just stood like a statue instead of giving some motion on the floor.

[@camnewton5550]

@@jacobisaac9934 nah Fred was worse than pascal, he actually made the all star team and is all nba talent

[@jacobisaac9934]

@@camnewton5550 you seem like a little kid repeating what fanboys say lol, none of that impacts winning at all. Understand the game, it's ridiculous we have a fan base that is such a bunch of homers.

[@jonjones861]

Siakam was excellent last year. Team around him was terrible and he had to carry the offense through the mud. He’s a top 20 player in the league.

[@jacobisaac9934]

No he's not lol what a fraud take like your fraud Pascal. We havent won nothing with this guy as the "leader"

[@HoopEnthusiasts]

James harden really fucking up players empowerment

[@thomasburns6289]

I'm a Raptors fan and I far from hate you. You've always been super fair about the team. I absolutely agree with you, extending Pascal should be a no brainer.

[@nanathegoat5106]

Honestly I don't get it. The dude is fucking GOOD.

[@dancingbabybins]

It's simple when it comes to Siakam, we need to see him commit to moving more through the offensive motions and resist the urge to camp out spots that he wants. If Pascal moves offball you'll be able to pass the ball to him when he's in motion, once Pascal catches the ball in motion he usually Stays in motion and attacks the rim with good footwork and a flexible short-mid range. That's what the team needs, if the Raptors needed isolation scoring we could trade for harden.

[@newman824]

In my entirety as a Raptors fan...'entitlement' has never applied. We should always do our best to keep the star players who want to stay up north. I'm disappointed in Masai and his smugness towards paying dudes that deserve their money.

[@jacobisaac9934]

He doesn't deserve shit we're a losing team with him as optiion 1.

[@hib6076]

As a raptors fan, you deserve no hate for this. We've been in dire need of a rebuild for 3 years now or trade our future to win now. But it seems like everyone is content with going 41 and 41

[@brycewyatt4836]

Wish I could comment twice! Love the channel and all the content you make. I like the docs/deep dives too, don’t stop! Keep working brother!

[@JUSTSOMEONECURRY]

You never fail to entertain uss

[@Perri-F]

Ussr

[@DeepSweetSoulful]

Masai made the most important strategic decision, firing Nick Nurse. Masai made it clear the reason was Nurse's failure to develop talent into consistent rotation players. Torontos success is completely dependent on player development and it is reassuring that Masai is hyper aware of this and acts accordingly.

[@MikeyMike923]

I pray he follows through and our young boys get reps in NBA action. It would be a waste to see Grady in the G-League.

[@Mark_Cadden]

Yeah we will see about that lol could also be a horrible mistake

[@ryanmussell739]

It is nice to say develope your bench. But when the rotational players are all crap. What are you to do ? Nick knew masiah had given him no depth and didn’t play the bench.

[@Zoo-Wee-Mama-Sq]

Best channel to watch while having toilet troubles

[@natashakuzmanoska9656]

Check thyroid gland.

[@darrengordon-hill]

Nerd City. Or ESPN.

[@feelsgoodman420]

Its not even funny the amount of times i saw Fred and Pascal ignore Scottie when hes wide open

[@EXFGaming]

This is a prime example of how the media twisting Masai's words. Masai did not say "Pascal is a selfish player". There were so may words in between and it becomes contextual on how you gaslight yourself to see it that way. And when you go back to Pascal and say that this guy called you selfish...well now you F'ed him up....Just think about that for a second.... Intentionally and willfully dividing the team. If you watched the raptors last year, objectively the team was selfish. Not an individual but the team. It was blatant. Pascal is not a selfish player but he HAD to play "selfishly" to try to get W. We all know this. If you are going to say that people are selfish on the team, I would blame Nick Nurse for fostering that attituded for 82 games. But to move to the second point about how Masai is not doing the "Right thing" when it comes to trades and extension. What Team was ACTUALLY successful doing it the "right" way? If your goal is TV rating, and regular season success then yes we are definitely doing it the wrong way. I'm much happier seeing the new coach actually try to coach the team. This video needs an update after the All-Star game.

[@adamk3306]

Thank you! Clearly you actually watch the games and keep up with the team. This video was way off.

[@EXFGaming]

@@adamk3306 watch every game!

[@GrandT343]

if thats not what was meant, then its on Masai for communicating poorly because everyone in the room interpreted it in that way. The twitter feeds were blowing up immediately too. They ask about an extension for pascal, and he brings up 'selfishness' and playing the right way.

[@adamk3306]

@@GrandT343 everyone in the room was also a media member and raptors twitter is a joke

[@jacobisaac9934]

You lack the ability to read between the lines.

[@sb12378]

saying giannis, jokic, lebron and pascal were the only ones to avg 24 pts 6 ast last year is crazy. Trae, luka, ja, dame, curry, brunson and fox did it as well. also pascal only averaged 5.8 assists

[@ambassadorcartwright9127]

Yeah I noticed that too.

[@finstergreen9182]

Great vid bro! Ur the goat ❤

[@AMHoops]

Appreciate it

[@giovanni-ed7zq]

@@AMHoops think about it, would they being this to siakam for absolutely no reason, or was the lockeroom last year really toxic and drama filled? my guess is fred and siakam as the vets getting isoball to pad stats for new contracts told the other players to suck it up and shut up not getting touches or shots all season. so they are seeing if siakam fits into the new system before extending him. i think also siakam may not want to sign an extension as well and try for an all nba and supermax contract as well. it may well be siakam is on his way out of toronto since they are no where near contenders and paying him a max or supermax just hamstrings the finances as the ownership wont pay tax.

[@wassolldasdigger]

Why the disrespect for Schröder? He won gold with Germany and was one of the best players in the tournament. Last playoffs he was the most important guard for LA s and was for sure better then DRuss who was basically unplayable after missing 3 shots in s row.

[@hunnidproblems2544]

I'm a raptors fan and I love you keep giving us great content

[@motm369]

As a Torontonian. I still believe in Masai/Bobby Dub. He knows more about the team inside/out. I don't care what others has to say, cause everyone doubted Masai when we got Kawhi, but he was right all along. So I'll give him all the credit he deserve whether I like it or not. MASAI is still the best in the business

[@caonhavu]

The fact of the matter is that no one knows what the truth is. The Raps front office are known to keep things close to their vest and don't allow leaks. It takes 2 teams to agree to a fair trade. One team's version of fair may not be the same for the other.

[@Logan69420]

Cope

[@danielbattle7620]

Y’all won your ring off an injured warriors squad and rented kawhi. Masai has only been right abt drafting pascal

[@Logan69420]

@@danielbattle7620 Cry

[@motm369]

@@danielbattle7620 it doesn't seem like you play sport or know anything about basketball.. Injury is part of the game, players get injured unfortunately. But Toronto outplayed the Warriors in that championship run and Kawhi was the main reason. No excuse to that. Even though Kawhi was a 'rental' we achieved something most team can't even get. Stop hating you clown

[@RealTomahawk7]

The worst part about all this is that if you ask any Raptor fan if this is wrong, they'll say "who cares, we have a ring!"

[@taylorgordon2696]

2019 champs baby! But for real I’d rather we trade him

[@maxmeier532]

how is that bad. in the past 40 years there have been around 15 teams who have won a ring. Around a dozen teams have NEVER won a ring. It's a huge achievement especially for a small market team, in Canada at that!

[@RealTomahawk7]

@@maxmeier532 it isn't, but some people aren't satisfied with just 1 ring.

[@Clear256]

@@maxmeier532 Toronto is in Canada but by no means is it a small market. I believe it's a top 6 market in the NBA

[@Aristophocles]

Great breakdown

[@nbarealtalker]

As a Raptors fan, I can honestly say our fanbase has become one of the worst in sports. Everyday for the last two years fans have wanted everyone fired or traded at some point. The only “untouchable” is Scottie. Nurse and FVV are still getting raked over the coals, Pascal was being lambasted as recently as the end of the season, and every 30 days they want Masai gone or when things are looking more optimistic it’s “in Masai we trust.” Any Raptors fan who’s like “wE nEeD tO rEbUiLd” is a shortsighted fairweather fan with a severe lack of conception of how our team isn’t like every other team in the NBA. That championship went to our fans head more than anyone else’s.

[@clanholmes]

Sounds like Maple Leafs

[@cissem4025]

fred was protected by the media he was the golden boy

[@Mark_Cadden]

True. Nick Nurse being the scapegoat (while he had his flaws no doubt) is going to age so poorly imo

[@CammySlammy5]

cant wait for the Season to start!!!

[@patientzero291]

Paskal and Fred got a championship extension, that's all. They are not all-star players. They are great role players surrounding the Superstar.

[@maxmeier532]

vanvleet may not be all-star player, but I dont see that is crucial. There are big names, big draws, the Brons, the Lukas and so on. Of course a 6'1 PG who gives you 20 a night reliably with 7 asts and 35% from 3 isnt going to be in the spotlight. But if you look at the reality of it, when you go past a Curry, Kyrie or a Lillard, who are the top point guards after those, and who is at least somewhat attainable and can gel with your franchise star to go deep in the play offs? I think you are underrating vanvleet. Not for nothing is Houston paying him 120 mill for 3 years. Same goes for Brunson who makes similar money NY. These guys are highly sought after and there is obviously a reason for that.

[@ryanmitchell4266]

Can't pay Pascal #1 money when he's a #2

[@danield.r.w.2478]

As a Raptors fan I'm getting tired of Masai Ujiri and this non-tanking rebuild/restructure going nowhere. Kawhi was a once in a lifetime chance, not a functional way of running a franchise. Sometimes you need to accept that there is not great deal waiting out there, and that it then is better to get something out of what you got left. If you haven’t got players signed end of December trade them. Getting a bag of peanuts is better than letting OG walk for nothing. Ujiri has kind of low key (high key) been terrible in regard to asses management. Also just pay Siakam, plenty of other teams will.

[@coachtimmeh6826]

They either have to go all in on being a playoff team (that failed so far during the off-season) or completely tank (but like you said, they don’t do that) because the spurs own the rights to their pick if it falls outside the top 6.

[@Chrisinlgy]

1. Siakam will never sign extension right now even if Masai offer him $200M. If he makes All-NBA team this year, he will be eligible for super max, Jaylen Brown type money. So he would be making a mistake to sign extension right now. 2. He only wants to play for Raptors because, only Raptors can offer him super max. 4. Siakam is 2023 All-star because KD was injured and Harden didn't pick up Adam Silver phone call. He's decent 2nd option and barely an All-Star. 5. Most Raptor fans agree Pascal isn't worth super max. He hasn't done anything since 2019.

[@maxmeier532]

You are contradicting your own point. As only the Raptors can offer him a supermax, it's not up to him whether he gets a supermax or not, so he cant leverage that to threaten to go elsewhere. Of course he could pull an Ayton, but we saw how that went. His team sucked and hated him for his behaviour, he was miserable for 2 years and now he's in effin Portland still not getting anywhere near max contract.

[@realshehrkhan]

Dude! Masai was right about the selfish comment and the players know it already. This is what happens when you don't do the research properly and have no idea what's going on behind the scenes. Even Scottie revisited the comment in a later interview saying that yeah, we were playing selfish ball, no real ball movement and things would get stagnant. The Masai comment was more of a slight to the system and not inididual players, it's was just a wird way of phrasing it. Pascal took it perssonal but that;s fine. To wach is own and all that. It came out later on that his camp thins this is just posturing and would be water under the bridge if extensions offer come their way. Who do we think we are, Psychic? We don't know anything. We only know what we are shown on the surface. There are tons of storylines behind the scenes that we know nothing about. All we can do is look at the product and analyze the results. Coming up with theories and possible solutions is entertaining at best. The tructh is much more complicated, my dude!

[@phube008]

I want the season to start, because now, I think content based on weak assomption is more and more common.

[@martianmurray]

Letting free agents go can be better than getting locked in to a big contract. Having cap flexibility can be very valuable whether you sign big free agents, or go the OKC route and take on big contracts to load up on draft picks.

[@WADEPH33R3]

that's true for cap space if you're a free agent destination, which the raptors are not. I know the raptors won a chip but the stars literally had to align. getting kawi in a trade and all 3 of golden states' best players being hurt.

[@martianmurray]

@@WADEPH33R3 and that’s why I also said they could go the OKC route. Read and comprehend the whole statement.

[@danielbattle7620]

Yeah except Toronto isn’t typically a free agent desired destination.

[@martianmurray]

@@danielbattle7620 try reading the whole comment

[@itsrosiealyea922]

I’m not over paying for siakam over inflated stats I think he knows wat he’s doing

[@ryanmussell739]

I was out on Siakim when the nba bubble started. The raps had a good roster. And it was leaked Siakim hadn’t touched a basketball until he arrived at the bubble. He had spent the entire lockdowns playing video games.

[@gnay3106]

Raptors fan here... you're pretty much spot on👌

[@jswaby]

In Toronto last season, there was an in stadium promo video of kids drawing pics of raptors players and the players had to guess which player was the drawing. One of the drawings had a player with a basketball in his hand. Every player guessed it was pascal. Why? Because he had the ball 😅😅😅

[@abw1317]

Nothing wrong with calling out your players.

[@caonhavu]

For all we know, Masai may have confirmed in general that the team played selfishly last year just to not single out anyone player (ahem, Fred). If he denied that Pascal played selfishly, people may be able to deduce who those were. As for the 'wait and see', maybe Masai just wants to see if Pascal and/or other players on their final year of contract are a fit with the new coach and system.

[@maxmeier532]

I dont get singling out fred for being selfish. He was a free agent and left for a great deal to Houston that Toronto didnt offer. Period.

[@caonhavu]

@@maxmeier532 We're not saying that he's selfish for taking a better deal. We're suggesting that he played selfishly last year to pad his stats to get a big pay day.

[@maxmeier532]

Ok, got it. But his stats are essentially identical for the last 3 years. Same shot attempts, same ppg, same asts, same minutes played...@@caonhavu

[@ryanmitchell4266]

@@maxmeier532 Fred played for stats once he knew he wasn't going to get extended by the Raptors. - SELFISH

[@adamk3306]

Yup, Masai also wants to see if the players in their final year of their contract are going to play team ball or play for themselves and try to inflate their stats.

[@johnjones9901]

Don’t ever talk like that again Casey, YOU ARE an NBA genius 🫶🤣🙏

[@maartenvz]

The coaching change is going to be such an improvement this year! Plus having poeltl and porter for a full season. I can see the raptors finish top 6 again

[@dfeliz83]

Wait.... wasn't nick nurse a rookie head coach in 2019? Darko was an assistant just like nick. Nows his time. Teams that darko is an assist for all did well.

[@mattgowrie8580]

You messed up the trade graphic with Kyle Lowry and Norm, putting who the raptors received behind the opposite players. Hope u notice 👍🏽

[@johndebono1870]

I'm a Raptors fan and the general consensus is "Love you Masai, but please give us a reason to have faith in this plan" (Which to be fair, he drafted Barnes and crafted a 48 win team the year before, so it's not like there wasn't some reason for optimism).

[@taylorgordon2696]

Think that’s only the new fans… I’ve been watching for 20 years and we weren’t properly run until masai. I have more leniency and patience for him

[@johndebono1870]

@@taylorgordon2696 I have been a fan since the Carter years. I lean more towards the patience side, but last year was definitely confusing.

[@taylorgordon2696]

@@johndebono1870 fair enough brother! I tuned out last year, maybe watched 20 games. Have patience masai won’t let us down

[@JoskiFN]

do you have any advice on how to grow your youtube channel

[@canadianchungus701]

The problem was FVV and Nurse not Pascal - Masai knows, Pascal knows, the whole team knows. None of our championship roster team have won anything big since they left. Their potential was maximized with the team at the time. You are no better than the wannabe beat writers with this L take

[@mohsenahmad2171]

Die hard raps fan. Even I have to question what Masai is doing. I’m at a loss.

[@texasscifi3431]

I wanna re watch this in 3 years.

[@bencrabtree5647]

Okay so Pascal averaged 24.2 and 5.8, fair enough to bump that up to 6 assists to lump him in with great players. But when Brandon Ingram averages 24.7 and 5.8, that 0.2 assist gap is too big to say he was one of the guys who averaged 24+ and 6+ assists…

[@chayeng1948]

Not to mention Lillard's 32.2/7.3, Luka's 32.4/8, Ja's 26.2/8.1, Trae's 26.2/10.2, Fox's 25/6.1, and Brunson's 24/6.2. All those guys actually hit 24/6, whereas Giannis and Siakam only averaged 5.7 and 5.8 assists respectively. Don't know where he got his stats.

[@bencrabtree5647]

@@chayeng1948 hahaha wtf, maybe he meant only big men

[@HKashaf]

Just watch how the tune will change over time this season!

[@toddstevens13]

I was never selfish, as visions of him screaming MINE while he is 10 feet away from an uncontested defensive rebound then running faster then anytime and anywhere else on the floor, caring not a damn his team mate was right there to collect the board, to the point where he hip checks his own man out of the way on a continuing basis, AND at times even knocked him down to get it. Poor Boucher happened to him 3 times alone. Part 1 of 3.

[@btafbm]

I’m a raptors fan but you’re speaking straight facts

[@Nicenests]

Pascal is not selfish what so ever. Masai would like to negotiate an extension, it’s Siakam and his agent, he can qualify for a super max (which no one wants him to acquire). An argument can be made that he’s selfish to want a supermax but that’s business. Without knowing how much Siakam will cost it’s difficult to discuss extensions with Gary and OG. Haters will tell you otherwise; Pascal plays the right way

[@Bandicoot19]

They haven’t offered him an extension so how would they know he’s looking for the supermax? Not offering him a max in the first place is so silly

[@mondrian5620]

“What else is new?” 😂

[@JohnDoe-230]

I think masai has far more to answer than Pascal a top 5 playmakeing forward.

[@ambassadorcartwright9127]

3:40 He said the only players with 24pts/6ast last year were Siakam, Giannis, Jokic, and Lebron? Uhh....that's not right.

[@Toby7602]

Im a raptors fan and I would love a rebuild its about damn time

[@darcard4003]

Did Freddy write your material?😂

[@pricelessmakoa4482]

Feel like you took a really objective approach to this one. Not that that’s something new for you. Love all of your content bro! Keep speaking your mind. Love your takes

[@glenterris3980]

FVV also had a lot to do with this

[@drdread-my9db]

I am the biggest Raps fan. Thank you for this video. Finally Raps getting some more love. But I disagree about how good this Raptor team is. They will surprise you. Also our new PG won gold medal and was MVP. So Fred was the problem and now he gone. Watch for Scottie B to break out this year as he will finally get the ball. Pascal is a good #2 option on a winning team. Raps should make the playoffs this year. This year we will see how it goes then make a trade or blow it up. Wait and see but don't sleep on them.

[@agirotto1]

Maybe Ujiri is following Dumars's steps: builds a championship team and then starts making mistake after mistake, failing to rebuild, while thinking he's still the smartest guy in the room.

[@THEGRIMRIPAcod]

This video was sponsored by number 43, Pascal Siakam.

[@blank_3958]

The reason he hasn’t signed an extension is because, he is attempting to make all NBA so that he can be super maxed.

[@luizinaciocarvalho1378]

Hey, I'm a Toronto fan from Brazil. I appreciate your content and can understand your impressions, but I can also tell that you haven't been following the Raptors up close because, maybe like you said "it's the raptors" in a condescending tone. But there is a very good reason why Pascal, who has stats like a top player in the league, might not be considered to priority for this team. I apologize if I'm sounding preachy but, if you look more closely, you will see the reasoning behind it. As a Raptors Fan, I agree with Masai on that one, maybe not the best approach but there is no way to know what conversations were had in private. As a shallow look on the situation, I can agree with what you're saying but, like most things, there's more to it than you're apparently seeing.

[@iMusicShuffle]

The norm trade was good for the raptors getting shooting and the KL trade brought in a super high energy player in Precious

[@2KStrife11]

That could be a tough choice, I see the bucks and Celtics in conference finals tho

[@sgtplaya7]

5:40 you got the graphic backwards

[@KriskAM100]

He's talking about Fred. Number one culprit

[@The6Man]

Huge Raptors fan here... You're not wrong about Masai, we all feel the doubt here in the 6

[@Cuwop2]

letting vanvleet walk for nothing was a huge L. the fact that the same may happen with Siakam is insane.

[@tommasominchio9738]

Man I just wanted for us to rebuild last year at the deadline... Now it's too late

[@samnmel100]

i suspect that fred's real first name is vred, and nobody listened, so he left. no rational explanation for choosing the rockets

[@Joefdgtr]

Raptors was so weird trading a top 6 protected pick for Jakob Poetl. Their peak is probably a play-in team.

[@dhruvray1898]

As a Raptors fan, it' super frustrating to see what Masai is doing with the team. It makes no sense to rebuild and "try" to contend at the exact same time. Anyone with a ounce of knowledge would know that the Raptors are not prepared to contend, so either they need to step their game up and make some impactful trades, or blow the whole thing up. Also, I hate how Masai is convincing himself that his plan is going to work. Sure he did make the trade for Kawahi Leonard and drafted Scottie Barnes, but other than that what has he done to improve the teams overall performance. I honestly think we need to rebuild since there practically no chance for a Superstar after the Dame trade not to mention that no free agent wants to go to CANADA! Scottie is a generational talent and it would not make any sense to completely disregard his development for "present contention"

[@eyzzquare7811]

Pascal is a great player but they need to understand he's not a #1 option for a winning team. Maybe a #2 or #3 next to a superstar will make him shine again.

[@anirudhranjan2934]

He said "WE". That makes all the difference. Its different from when Embiid said, "I can't win alone....". Can't blame him for that.

[@parengthonycastillo4272]

Masai's just waiting to sign his close friend this coming free agency.

[@antlowelowe411]

Pascal on Milwaukee??? SHEESH 🤯

[@erinrector5911]

I think he was referring to Fred

[@inno100bob]

Andy the savior post again plz

[@milothebest98]

Make a vid about the Kai Jones situation

[@williamwong3379]

He was mostly talking about Fred

[@makkenji6053]

Massai waiting for trade deadline and 2024 free agency to make a move, being patient can pay off, or not. He's willing to see

[@kingsalomon6459]

Yo guys im pretty he was talking about Fred Vanvleet not Siakam

[@sabledawn]

The problem is the all-or-nothing mentality that exists between top-notch players and the front office. Pascal isn't worth maxing out, but he is worth an extension that's close to that. It's called negotiation

[@Bandicoot19]

Not offering him an extension at all Is malpractice at its highest degree

[@Justfranktbh]

5:43 that was more than enough buddy. We got Trent basically a young Powell & the Lowry deal was just a friendly deal no way we was trading Lowry mid season he’s the groat, precious is solid rotation player too 🤷🏾‍♂️ kinda of a W

[@dustinharris1245]

Raptors fan here. Been saying this for two years. Masai is a FRAUD. He made one Hail Mary move, then was gifted the unfortunate circumstance of klay and kd going down. Now people call him a genius. He let Lowry go for peanuts, he got shit all back for norm, and he let Freddy walk. This dude thinks he’s slick but he’s a mess, get him out

[@illfreakynana]

Im a Raptors fan and I'm so confused with this team.

[@PetrodollarDealEndedSoWakeUp]

Fred Van vleet to Dennis Schroder. NOT a downgrade. Break even, for the most part. Don’t slander the FIBA champion and solid NBA player. Let’s see him away from Bron’s system

[@dimitrije.2424]

Here’s what I think. Philadelphia has cap space either if they trade Harden or they just let him walk, I think their plan is to go for Pascal Siakam next year in free agency. Siakam would obviously be a good, complimentary PF to a center like Embiid so it’s obvious that the star they really want is Siakam. He can score from all 3 levels so he won’t clog up the paint, he’s a good passer and a good defensive player. I think they probably want to trade harden for some first round picks so they can probably trade some of those firsts and Tobias Harris for a 4th star.

[@raymondliu8825]

Someone needs to tell Masai that it is time to go into rebuild mode

[@jovondeonte89]

You don’t know masai was talking about pascal. Bro stretching for views.

[@jeffmousebeans5055]

100%

[@karuscuvic]

either way most of the vid is about the situation in Toronto and siakam not getting an extension yet. the start of the vid doesn't really change anything.

[@joepal843]

Masai is fine. He's keeping the roster stacked with Valuable players for when the next inevitable star want's out, and he can make another Masai Move. We were close to getting Dame, while keeping the core together of OG, Scottie, Pascal together. We're always gonna be one move away, which i don't mind at all

[@Mark_Cadden]

This is by far the least sustainable way to run a franchise I’ve ever seen. This has been the Knicks blueprint for the last 50 years. “We just need that one disgruntled star and then we pounce.” You do realize that your assets to get those stars are aging and leaving, right? Sooner than later you won’t have any left to offer and apparently what you have now isn’t enough as Dame went to the Bucks instead lol. OG and Trent might be next in the long list of assets to leave for absolutely nothing or next to nothing in return (see Kyle Lowry miss by not trading at the deadline and FVV as examples) and if you don’t extend Pascal you’re left with Scottie and idek who

[@joepal843]

@@Mark_Cadden Bro take your anxiety meds. Sky isn't falling. They'll do all the things you're worried about, what i'm saying, Masai always tries to put himself into a position to be one trade away. Dame was close with keeping our core together of P, OG, Scottie

[@Mark_Cadden]

@@joepal843 Close means nothing. It was still a miss. You can’t be one trade away forever and my entire point is that being one trade away is a trash ass gameplan cuz 9.9/10 times you won’t get the trade. You’re deluding yourself if you think they’re just “gonna do all the things you’re worried about” 😂 it’s been 4 years of ass and getting worse and worse

[@joepal843]

@@Mark_Cadden This year our team feels much better. FVV gone is a blessing. This is the process of building around Scottie. Some casual fans can't stand the wait time, but greatness takes time

[@jasonzhang9207]

Everything you said makes sense from a standard NBA practice and asset management perspective. As well as the standard disrespect of the Raptors Franchise from a US media perspective. What you said about Pascal I remember same argument were made with Demar Derozen trade "How dare you lowly Raptors trade a sub par all star player who wants to be there? how dare you wanting to win a championship?" while the same people also mock Demar for choking in the playoffs. Most of you just want the Raptors to be irrelevant in the NBA let's be honest. All the narrative has a negative theme no matter what Masai does. One thing about Masai and the culture of the Raptors is that it's a family here. He said it many times in the past that he doesn't like to look at players as trade chips and assets. When he gives a 5 year deal he expects the players to stay for that period, unless someone makes him a Godfather offer. Masai will also never tank for picks similar to Miami Heat culture. He wants to compete and win every year so the word "Rebuild" is always wishful thinking for most casual fans and media that don't cover the Raptors. The term asset is also overrated, if you are good at turning undrafted players into all stars then who cares? At the end of the day when the smoke clears, Raptors will still be top 6 in East every year.

[@ry_an.]

At the end of the day, that's all fun and all and an ideal scenario for bonding, chemistry, organic winning, etc, but thats all wishful thinking. It's a win now league. The current team constructed with players isnt good enough to compete and as the GM youre expected to bring change when needed in order to make that happen. The team since 2020 has: Missed the playoffs Lost in the first round Missed the playoffs What good is being top 6 (even though this core isnt good enough to compete) if you have no shot at getting past the first round against the legit contenders the top 3 seeded teams because your #1 option isnt good enough, then why keep that squad around.

[@ryanmitchell4266]

If the raptors signed Pascal to 50m/year just to trade him, they'd have to take back a ton of bad contracts to salary match. Masai either wants Pascal to accept what he'd get on the open market (less than max) to stay in Toronto, or do a sign and trade and get picks and youth and cap space. Money they save if they sign Pascal for less they can use on Anunoby

[@papi-sauce]

spicy p is a bench all star on a good day...3 yrs ago.