nabbs wrote:Someone confirm this but I recall him making quite the impression at the draft combine during the 5 on 5 scrimmages
http://www.lcsun-news.com/story/sports/college/blogs/off-the-mark/2016/05/13/siakam-impresses-nba-draft-combine/84345576/"Siakam has received high praise from Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com and ESPN's Chad Ford during the first few days of the combine. According to DraftExpress, Siakam had 12 points, seven rebounds, one assist, three blocks and 5 of 9 from the field in 24.4 minutes during the 5 of 5 play during the combine on Thursday and Givony had Siakam
as one of the top 10 performances on Thursday.
Givony said this about Siakam's performance on his Day 1 recap on DraftExpress.com: "Productive 22-year-old sophomore Pascal Siakam
stood out during Thursday's game thanks to his non-stop motor, rim running ability and excellent mobility. He's not the most offensively polished prospect in attendance, but Siakam competes on every play, a useful skill when coupled with his 7-foot-3 wingspan, fairly quick (although not overly explosive) leaping ability, and agility. He's the first one down the floor on nearly every possession, which resulted in a few transition buckets, including an And 1 finish that came after sprinting out to run Jarrod Uthoff off of the 3-point line and then recovering to block his jumper (one of three blocks on the game). Siakam also showed impressive footwork defending the perimeter and ball screens, something he wasn't always asked to do at New Mexico State as the Aggies played quite a bit of zone.
"Siakam, who has a decent feel for who he is as a player, knocked down a short corner jumper and two of his three free throw attempts, but he still room to polish his skill set. He missed a face-up 17 footer, and botched a couple of finishes around the rim versus length. Siakam isn't the most physically imposing player at 227 pounds, but his compete level, energy, rim running ability, length and agility make him an very solid second-round prospect if he decides to stay in the draft."
Ford listed Siakam as a sleeper to watch in the 5-on-5 and that he could end up in the first round after the combine."
ALSO
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2622680-new-mexico-states-pascal-siakam-is-the-best-player-youve-never-heard-ofSome excerpts:
The story of how Siakam, a 6'9" power forward, found himself
leading the Aggies to back-to-back WAC championships follows a similar path to that of other African imports. He was discovered at a Basketball without Borders camp run by NBA forward and fellow Cameroon native Luc Mbah a Moute. By the end of the season,
he was a first-team All-WAC selection and was named the league's Freshman of the Year.
"He's got a great motor, and that was put in his body by mom and dad," Menzies said. "I had nothing to do with that. When you have a player that comes with those kinds of gifts, and they have good buy-in and are receptive to learning and have the attitude he does, then you can create a special project."
What's intriguing to NBA scouts is the transformation Siakam made last summer. Already a chore to guard because his quickness allows him to drive around most big men, Siakam added a high-arcing jumper to his repertoire, making him a more complete scorer.
Now he can score with his back to the basket—he has a nice righty jump hook over his left shoulder—and the ability to shoot has helped his face-up game. He's made 39 jumpers (out of 90 attempted) at a 43.3 percent clip this season, according to Synergy.
"The main thing that impressed me on him was the fact that he made the big leap in improvement hitting the 12- to 15-foot jumper," a scout told B/R. "Last year, he was a guy that didn’t shoot that shot and now he's a guy who has a very good-looking jump shot."
"But this season he moved away from the basket. He was putting the ball on the floor, taking longer jumpers—but still mixing it up down low, too. He's got a more versatile skill set now, which makes him dangerous because it means he can play multiple positions."
The fact that Siakam has improved so rapidly and hasn't been playing the game that long suggests he could get the upside tag usually reserved for younger players; he's already 22.
It's also a testament to his work ethic.
