The Raptors’ acquisition of Kawhi Leonard over the offseason was widely praised as the perfect move to push the roster towards contention. There was a lot of noise around the trade, you might recall; it was held up for months as the NBA finished its cap circumvention investigation into Leonard’s old team, the Clippers. When punishments were handed down and the transaction went through, the superstar wing emerged seemingly ready to contribute to a rising Eastern Conference contender.
But it didn’t last long. Leonard’s second Toronto tenure is off to a terrible start.
He started the Raptors' first two games and played perfectly fine. It wasn’t near the level of last year’s All-NBA campaign. Leonard posted 23 points on 17 shots in the season opener, then scored 16 on 20 shots against the Wizards. Most veterans need the first week to get their sea legs under them as they ramp up for a long season, so there was no cause for concern—and the seven combined steals he racked up over the two contests helped alleviate such concerns further.
Then, one hour before Toronto was slated to tip off against Minnesota on Sunday, Leonard was suddenly ruled out with left knee swelling. Given his extensive history of knee injuries, it was an alarm bell moment for anybody paying attention. However, Leonard’s first stint with the Raptors featured a ton of load management. It was unclear if the superstar wing was truly dealing with something or if Toronto had just decided at the last minute to give him a rest day.
On Tuesday, it was revealed to be the worst-case scenario. ESPN’s Shams Charania dropped the news that Leonard was slated to miss “a period of weeks” due to swelling in his left knee. The only positive spin: an MRI showed no structural damage. Nevertheless, the two-way star is sidelined for the foreseeable future.
Leonard himself released a statement as well in the wake of the news break.
“Yeah it’s always frustrating to miss time,” he wrote on social media. “I came back to compete with this team and I’m focused on getting back to 100 (percent). Toronto, I’ve appreciated the love since I’ve been back. Returning soon.”
It is the worst possible way for Leonard to begin his second Raptors stretch. Toronto happily mortgaged its future to land Leonard, sending out two unprotected first-rounders in 2031 and 2033 as well as a first-round swap in 2027. And, essentially the moment he arrived in town, the franchise inked Leonard to a two-year extension worth $115 million. It was all executed with the understanding that his injuries make him famously unreliable—but the same bet was made before the 2018–19 season, when the Raptors first traded for Leonard, and that famously paid off very well in the form of a title.
This first bout of missed games due to a knee injury doesn’t spell doom. But it’s still bad news.
What Leonard’s injury means for the Raptors going forward
Without knowing exactly how long the superstar wing will be out, it’s tough to give a comprehensive evaluation of what the injury means for Toronto. But right now it does seem he’ll return at some point in the relatively near future, which indicates all the Raptors have to do is tread water until he comes back.
And they can do better than that. Leonard is the player who gives them a real championship shot, but Scottie Barnes is the roster’s leader. He’s an awesome defender just like Leonard with a well-rounded skillset that ensures he impacts the game even when his shot goes missing. Just as it did in Sunday’s loss to the Timberwolves; Barnes finished with a stunning line of zero points on 0-for-12 shooting but added three assists, four steals and three blocks. The 25-year-old is the key to the organization’s future and leaning on him more, particularly offensively where Leonard’s absence hurts most, can only pay long-term dividends.
In the short term it will mean ugly basketball, however. The Raptors’ defense is awesome and the offense clunky even with Leonard’s elite shot-making. Without it, every night will be a rock fight. They’ve forced a league-leading 24.7 turnovers per game to start the year; plenty of offense can be generated in transition as a result.
Ultimately, Toronto acquired Leonard to win in April, May and (if all goes to plan) June. As long as he’s healthy when that time comes, how many games he misses in October and November won’t be remembered. The Raptors are good enough to keep pace in the standings without him.
They just have to hope this isn’t the first sign of another injuy-riddled campaign for the superstar that leads to the familiar sight of Leonard in street clothes during the most important games of the season.
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