Report: Siakam hopes to return within next week
Toronto Raptors star Pascal Siakam is expected to practice Friday and hopes to return to the lineup within the next week, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Siakam is unlikely to be activated for Sunday's game against the San Antonio Spurs, but it isn't out of the question, according to Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun.
The 25-year-old suffered a groin injury Dec. 18 against the Detroit Pistons and has missed the last 11 games as a result. The Raptors are 6-5 during his absence.
Siakam was flourishing in a lead offensive role prior to his injury. The 6-foot-9 power forward was averaging career highs in points (25.1), rebounds (8.0), and assists (3.6) per game.
His outside shooting has also improved, most notably from above the break. The Cameroonian is connecting on 39.5% of his attempts from that section of the floor, according to NBA.com.
On the defensive end, Siakam continues to be a disruptive presence. He leads the NBA with 5.8 triples contested per game.
Siakam signed a four-year, $130-million max extension this past offseason.
Toronto sits fourth in the East despite injuries to multiple key players, including Marc Gasol, Norman Powell, and Fred VanVleet.