1. The handling of Kawhi Leonard
Anybody calling into question the persistence of the Raptors’ medical staff to play it safe with Kawhi Leonard in the early stages of the season needs to stop doing so immediately.
"“I’ve been through the league long enough to know where the important games are, and that’s April, May, and June.” Kawhi Leonard, when asked about missing games early on in the season"
The NBA is in the midst of a DNP-rest “revolution” and if Toronto is good enough to win without Klaw, why not do just that in the early going? As the year progresses, look for the Raptors to try to find Lowry nights off as well, same goes for a guy like Danny Green.
Leonard’s health situation has been well documented, specifically the part about him playing just nine games last season before “quitting” on the Spurs. Up north, however, his on-court dominance has come precisely as advertised. Clearly, whatever Toronto’s trainers, doctors, sports scientists, and all the like are doing is working.
I understand the frustration amongst fans who want to see Kawhi play more, however, given what you’ve seen in his appearances thus far, what questions are you still looking to have answered? For Toronto to have any shot of making its first NBA Final, nothing, including the health of Kyle Lowry, is more important than having Kawhi Leonard healthy and rested come April, May, and June.