Why is Pascal Siakam not playing tonight against Clippers? Latest injury update for top trade target (Jan. 10, 2024)

Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam will not participate in Wednesday night's matchup against the LA Clippers on a back-to-back night schedule.

After a late addition to their injury list, the team announced that Siakam was ruled out of the game. He's reportedly dealing with back spasms.

The former champion and two-time All-Star will miss his first game of the season, having played all 37 games. Chris Boucher, Thaddeus Young and Jontay Porter will play extended minutes in his absence.

The 29-year-old veteran was healthy throughout the season and was not on the injury list even on back-to-back nights before this game. His expected date of return has not been explicitly mentioned, but it's expected to be Jan. 12.

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What was Pascal Siakam's performance like last night?

Pascal Siakam continues to play impressively as the leader for the Raptors. He contributed significantly to the team, scoring 25 points, grabbing four rebounds and registering three assists in 32 minutes of play on Tuesday.

His on-ball defense and cohesion with their young star Scottie Barnes were displayed all game long. Barnes chipped in for the Raptors scoring alongside Siakam as their go-to players in the fourth with 26 points.

Despite his plays, the Raptors faced a tough 132-131 defeat on the road to the LA Lakers. Anthony Davis led the Lakers with an incredible stat-filling performance and effort game with 41 points, 11 rebounds and six assists.

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What does Pascal Siakam's absence mean for the Toronto Raptors?

The Raptors will need to adjust their rotations and lineups to compensate for their All-NBA forward's loss of contributions on both ends of the floor.

The Raptors have struggled to remain healthy. They will already be missing Jakob Poeltl, who's ruled out indefinitely with a left ankle sprain. Forward Otto Porter Jr. is also going to miss the game due to his right knee sprain following the Warriors game.

Without Siakam, expect the Raptors to put Gary Trent Jr. into their starting rotations to share the backcourt with Immanuel Quickley, Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett and Thaddeus Young. The Raptors decided to start Young in place of the injured Poeltl for the first time this season.

Pascal Siakam has averaged 22 points on better than 50% shooting with six rebounds and five assists. His defensive contributions are noteworthy. Opponents are scoring only 43% of the time in the paint when guarded by him on 14 attempts, and under 40% from the mid-range on eight attempts, which is remarkable for a wing/forward.