"As a player, you always want to be at your best but you also understand the situation and circumstances and work with it," says Raptors star
Monday 20 July 2020 10:34, UK
Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam is not worried about being at 100 per cent right now and says gradually working hard to peak when it matters is his and the team's priority.
Speaking at Raptors media availability inside the NBA's campus at the Disney Wide World of Sports complex in central Florida, 2019 Most Impoved Player award winner Siakam said "peaking at the right time" will be key for him and his team-mates as they aim to successfully defend the NBA championship.
One week into practice ahead of the restart, have things been different or similar to a normal training camp?
Siakam: It's similar in that we are working towards the same goal. Everyone was getting ready before we got here. Everyone is excited.
(A bubble) is probably not where you want to be but it is important that everyone wants to go out every single day, play hard and compete at a high level.
Coming out of the hiatus when you were unable to do the training and conditioning work you would normally have been doing, do you feel like you have caught up now? How did you speed up that process?
Siakam: For me, I am not worried about right now about being 100 per cent or all the way back. It is going to be a process. The goal for us as a team, not just me, is to peak at the right time. That is what I am focused on, continuing to work gradually towards playing my best basketball when it matters the most.
As a player you always want to be at your best but you also understand the situation and circumstances and work with it. That's something I am learning from the other guys around me - Fred (VanVleet), Marc (Gasol), Kyle (Lowry). Getting advice from them and continuing to get better.
What does it mean to the players to have both team president Masai Ujiri and general manager Bobby Webster both with the team in Orlando?
Siakam: It shows their commitment. Having them there is what we are used to. It feels good to have them. If something is not going how we want to, they are two people we can turn to and they can make sure everything is fine. It's definitely good to have them.
What stuff can we bounce off them? Anything. At the end of the day, the NBA is doing a great job trying to make this work. Obviously, it's not perfect but, if there are anything we feel can improve, we have (Masai and Bobby) around it's good to have them.
Did you watch a lot of film during the hiatus? In terms of playmaking, did you pick anything up you can apply when play resumes?
Siakam: I feel I have always been a willing passer. (In terms of playmaking, it is about) being in certain situations and making better reads, understanding I am going to get the attention (from the opposing defense), know how to be aggressive and know how to defer. It is something I'm learning and shooting to get better at. It's an exciting time working every day, trying to improve and seeing things defences will throw at me.
I watch everyone, from point guards to fives (centers). My game is versatile and I try to learn from everybody that I can.
