After a fabulous 2019 NBA Championship run, the Toronto Raptors failed to repeat the same success this year, as they were sent home in the Eastern Semi Conference Finals.

Although they lost Kawhi Leonard in the offseason, they were still expected to go further in the playoffs. However, one of their top players, Pascal Siakam, had a dreadful postseason run. He was a shell of himself and succumbed underneath the pressure to lead his team.

As a result, Siakam received a lot of slander from Raptors fans. However, head coach Nick Nurse believes the 26-year-old will bounce back next season.

“He was really firing on all cylinders going into March 11. I mean, he was really playing well and continuing to trend up. Closing games. Fourth-quarter clutch shots and all those things. Then the pandemic hits and the layoff, it started bad.

“For whatever reason, after the layoff and the Bubble, he wasn’t quite the same player. I really believe in him, he’s a fantastic person, a fantastic worker, has a great set up and he knows what being a pro is.”

Prior to the abrupt break, Siakam was having a phenomenal season. He had a career year and was awarded his first All-Star team selection. In fact, in the regular season, Siakam averaged 22.9 points per game and looked ready to lead the team.

But during the playoffs, every team was coming back from a long break, which ultimately hindered the game for some players. Pascal Siakam was one of them.

Can the Toronto Raptors make a comeback next year?

Preparations for next season will begin shortly once the opening day date is confirmed by the league. The Raptors will most likely run it back with the same team in the 2020-21 season.

However, for them to succeed, Siakam would need to step up his game. If he fails to do that, the Raptors might not have much success even in the Eastern Conference. Next year, there will be a number of teams that have the talent to make it to the NBA Finals.

Do you think the Raptors have what it takes to make another trip to the NBA Finals?