Toronto Raptors: Kawhi Leonard season preview

After fighting his way out of San Antonio, Kawhi Leonard will look to lead the Toronto Raptors to their first ever Finals appearance.

The road to recovery has been a long and windy one for Kawhi Leonard. After having suffered a right thigh injury in game 1 of the 2017 playoffs, Leonard has struggled to remain completely healthy, managing to only play in nine games this past season.

To make matters worse, Leonard had to deal with the added pressure from both his team and their fans. This all eventually led to great turmoil between Leonard and the San Antonio Spurs organization and was a major factor in the decision to trade Leonard to the Toronto Raptors.

But now Leonard looks to turn a new leaf over in joining the Raptors.  Clearly Leonard has been trying to improve his image (pushing for more money with the Jordan brand) and finding success with the Raptors is the quickest way to do that.

The acquisition of Leonard also goes to show that the Raptors management is going all in. Leonard is a flight risk at the end of the year so not finding success could prove to be the first step in a “rebuild” for the Raptors.

Leonard should look to make a quick impression with both his teammates and the fans. We are going to take a look at what Leonard offers, how he fits in, and what expectations should be for “The Claw” this upcoming season.