NBA Awards 2019: 3 reasons why Pascal Siakam should win the Most Improved Player Award

#2 No more an ancillary to Kawhi

Siakam's versatility only helps his cause

Kawhi Leonard might be considered as the main man for the Raptors, but Siakam was equally instrumental. Raptors had the second best record in the East with 57 wins in the season, and their line-up revolved around Siakam. He was flexible with the big lineup that included Leonard and Gasol, and even with the shorter one that had Serge Ibaka. Overall, he was not only an outstanding player but also a blessing to the coach.

In a regular season matchup against the Washington Wizards earlier this year, Siakam made full use of Kawhi Leonard's absence and dropped a career-high 44 points on 15-of-25 shooting to lead the Raptors to a comfortable 129-120 win.

With the type of role and amount of impact that Siakam has had on this Raptors team, no other contender for the MIP award even comes.

"He is certainly deserving. If there's somebody else who is deserving, then sometimes that's the way it works. But he's had an unbelievable season." - Nick Nurse