The shared journey of Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam is paying off for the Raptors,
From long shots to NBA’s peak to the bank, Siakam and VanVleet have a good thing going
They are Option A and Option B for the Raptors these days, but in some ways all the long hours leading up to becoming top dogs — a journey they weathered together — matter more to Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet.
Born within two months of each other, and a world apart, in 1994 — late February for VanVleet in Rockford, Ill., and Siakam across the ocean in Douala, Cameroon, in early April — their paths first crossed in the summer of 2016: Siakam drafted 27th by Toronto, VanVleet passed over before signing with the Raptors.
From there, they sat at the end of the bench together in their NBA rookie season — when they weren’t leading Raptors 905 to a championship in what was then known as the D League (now G League). In their sophomore campaign, they joined C.J. Miles, Delon Wright and Jakob Poeltl to form the Bench Mob, one of the best second units in the league.
In 2018-19, Siakam’s patented spin moves and VanVleet’s cuts to the basket were highlight material in a championship season.
Navigating all of that together and building a foundation of trust and respect — on the court and off — has been a springboard to yet another level. The defending champions won 12 of their first 16 games despite losing Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green to free agency and Kyle Lowry since Nov. 8 with a fractured thumb.
“It makes it way easier,” Siakam said this month about playing with VanVleet. “We already have a relationship. He’s like my brother.
“On the court, it’s easy. I can ask him anything he sees on the floor, and I think our chemistry — from 905 to all the years we’ve been together, summertime — it just flows naturally. Out on the court, we always have that connection.”
Not many current NBA players were born in1994. At 25 and already household names. VanVleet and Siakam aren’t taking their success for granted.
“We’ve worked in the summer together,” VanVleet said. “We came and worked our way into the lineup … It’s just been fun to be there alongside him.”
They could wind up side by side at February’s NBA all-star game in Chicago, not far from VanVleet’s hometown. That wouldn’t be much of a surprise for Siakam, last year’s most improved player, but it would represent quite a leap for VanVleet, who averaged 11 points a game last season.
Both players agree that they need to be more consistent on the court, but also that even on the off nights they can improve in some small way. VanVleet’s motto: Bet on yourself.
“I’m just about wins and losses, and as long as we’re on the right track and improving — each game, each day, each week — and we’re winning more than we’re losing, I feel like I’m in a good spot,” VanVleet said.
Siakam calls it “Humble hustle.”
“One of the things that I’ve always done my whole life is getting better and learning from my mistakes, and things that I haven’t done well. I’m always going to continue to grow, and I think it can only get better from here.”
That’s music to Nick Nurse’s ears.
The Raptors coach has staggered the pair’s minutes more often with Lowry out — to make sure the team has enough ball handling and creativity on the floor at all times — but their effortless play together hasn’t escaped Nurse.
“It’s been a lot of time together (already) and I think that certainly helps chemistry and timing, and they’ve both got a really good mindset,” he said. “They both have really high IQs, they both play both ends, and they feed off each other very well.”
That extends off the court. They may be the same age, but VanVleet — a father of two kids and the Raptors’ heartbeat with Lowry out — can be all business compared with the more playful Siakam.
“I literally talk to Fred about anything in terms of life stuff,” Siakam said. “We came in the same draft, but for some reason it feels like he’s got more experience than me. I always ask him different things, even businesswise or whatever.”
That support goes both ways and Siakam — who signed a four-year, $130 million (U.S.) extension in October — made it clear in a recent Instagram story, when he shouted out the brand-savvy VanVleet for landing a deal to become a spokesperson for American Express.
“My boy making moves,” Siakam said proudly in a video.
What’s in the cards next for VanVleet remains to be seen. He is in the final season of twoyear deal and will be looking to get paid come the summer of 2020. He has kept relatively quiet on the contract front, but believes he has made his feelings clear about the organization and the city.
VanVleet says he has used Siakam’s “superstar trajectory” as inspiration for his contractyear improvement.
“If I can stick by his side, maybe I’ll stick around long enough and soak up some of that max money,” VanVleet said.
In the meantime, he is more than happy to continue the ride with Siakam.
“It’s been a lot of fun watching him, honestly,” VanVleet said. “And then for me to be out on the floor and play a lot of minutes, and have some opportunities to play well. We’ve had some big games together and it’s just fun.”