Toronto Raptors: Kawhi Leonard is gone if the Raptors don’t win this series

With Kawhi Leonard’s decision to stay-or-leave looming in the not-so-distant future the Toronto Raptors need to realize it’s ‘put up or shut up’ time. If they lose this series, Kawhi Leonard could be out of the door.

The 2019 playoffs started off like almost every other series for the Toronto Raptors; with a loss. The surprising upset was cause for concern as the Raptors looked to struggle against the seventh-seeded Orlando Magic team.

But things quickly changed as Kawhi Leonard re-educated the NBA community on how good he really is. Game 2 saw Leonard made quick work of the Magic as he exploded for a game-high 37 points in only 33 minutes of work.

Through the playoffs, dominance has been common for Leonard. Like few other players in the league, Leonard seems to unlock another level when the playoffs roll around. This is partly thanks to his inept ability to take control during stretches of games, leaving opponents slack-jawed as they can only watch helplessly as Leonard goes to work.

This dominance has continued through round two as the Raptors look all but lost without Leonard in the line-up. Game 1 against the Philadelphia 76ers was a stellar performance from Leonard as he went for 45 points and a win. But Leonard alone won’t be enough, Games 2 and 3 were much of the same, with Leonard giving it his all in an attempt to drag the Raptors across the finish line but ultimately to no avail. His supporting cast failed to live up to expectations.

And now, with game four on the horizon and the recent news of Pascal Siakam being listed as doubtful, thanks to a calf contusion, for the game things have begun to look bleak for the Raptors.

Siakam, who is the number two option on the team, has been the only consistent weapon alongside Leonard during this second round. Leonard leads the way at 37.7 points per game, followed by Siakam at 23.3 and then miles behind is Kyle Lowry at 12, Danny Green at 7.7 and Marc Gasol at 6.7.

Asides from Siakam and a solid Game 3 performance from Green the rest of the starters have been non-existent. Leaving Leonard out to dry on back-to-back games must be viewed as a wake-up call for the rest of the team. Especially for Lowry.

Past performances have turned fans into skeptics during the playoffs. The all-star point guard has had a tendency to disappear during the times he’s needed most. A decent game two performance has been the highlight of the series so far for Lowry.

He scored 20 points on 7-17 shooting, only hitting 2-of-6 three-point attempts. Those two being the only three-pointers he’s hit during the series, going 0-for-8 during the other two games.

With injuries starting to accumulate Lowry is going to be heavily relied upon. A big Game 4 would be a start in the right direction.

And it’s not only the starters. The supporting cast around Leonard has been a big-time letdown thus far. Bench players like Serge Ibaka and Fred VanVleet have had a horrendous postseason. Most notably has been the negative performances from FVV, who is -25 on the series and has a total of four points through three games.

Another missing bench piece has been the explosive Norman Powell. While Powell may not be viewed as a constant go-to scorer he has shown flashes of potential in the past. But, like many others so far this series, Powell has been ineffective in providing offensive relief for the starters.

To say that the offense is struggling would be an understatement.

With the big named players such as Lowry, Gasol and Ibaka signed for the next few years the Raptors are locked in with the current roster as is. And if Leonard was to decide to stay this would be the roster, barring any decisions to trade a player like Ibaka or Powell, that he picked to play alongside.

The odds of Leonard picking the Raptors get worse and worse with every poor performance. Leonard, who’s been on the record stating that he would like to go to a championship caliber team, will have an easy decision to make if the Raptors continue along the path they’re currently on.

He must certainly be disappointed with the lack of production from his teammates. While it’s understandable to expect the team’s best player to be most outstanding, it might be a good idea to offer him a little support.

All of this is to say that a second-round exit to the 76ers would spell imminent doom to the relationship between Leonard and the Raptors organization. There’s simply no chance that a player of Leonard’s talents would be willing to invest his future in a team incapable of exiting the second round, especially against weaker teams.

The Raptors need to buckle down and realize what’s at stake. This is so much more than just losing another second-round matchup. This is about losing the one thing that made the Raptors a contender. Every trade or improvement made this year was with the intentions of winning it all and not living up to those standards might scare away the one thing that might make that a reality.  This is about losing the potential key to the kingdom.

Game 4 is scheduled for Sunday afternoon in Philadelphia, it’ll also be the controlling game in the series. If Philly is to go up 3-1 things are as good as over, but a bounce-back win heading back into Toronto would bring the series at an even 2-2 and would be a big-time momentum swing for the Raptors.

The departure of Leonard would send seismic waves through the NBA and change the trajectory of the franchise for years to come. Leonard is a simple man who wants just wants to play basketball. Win or loss, he will go where he thinks he has the best chance to succeed. Although, a win would go a long way in helping keep Leonard around…