10 Times the Brooklyn Nets missed on a superstar in the NBA Draft
By Sameer Kumar
10. Pascal Siakam – 2016
Pascal Siakam came in as a raw prospect with great athleticism from New Mexico State with the 27th pick in the draft. However, Siakam broke out big time in the 2018-19 season for the Toronto Raptors, as his scoring, rebounding and playmaking abilities in addition to his defense at the power forward position ultimately earned him Most Improved Player honors and helped bring Toronto their first NBA title.
Siakam really took things to the next level in the 2019-20 season following Kawhi Leonard‘s departure to the Los Angeles Clippers with career-highs of 23.6 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game; showing that he is well on his way to becoming an all-around superstar on both ends of the floor.
Brooklyn ended up selecting Caris LeVert with the 20th pick, but LeVert has shown to be a very good player in his own right when healthy, as he was averaging 23.0 points, 5.1 assists and 4.7 rebounds in 17 games before the league suspended operations indefinitely due to the coronavirus.
If Siakam was selected by the Nets, then he would’ve easily helped fill that glaring gap at the power forward position that currently plagues this team.