Raptors would love to have what the 76ers built around Joel Embiid for Kawhi Leonard

Kawhi Leonard and Joel Embiid have been two of the least available stars in the NBA in recent years. Embiid played 230 of the 410 possible regular-season games in the last five seasons, and Kawhi Leonard played 274. Load management and absences are just part of the experience with both. 

With LeBron James choosing Philadelphia over Cleveland and Miami in free agency, the 76ers built a star-studded roster around Embiid. Even when Embiid is out, they still have James, Tyrese Maxey, and Jaylen Brown, plus youngster VJ Edgecombe. They are more than equipped to survive any absences from Embiid. 

Assuming the Kawhi Leonard trade still works out as planned for the Raptors, that’s the kind of injury insurance they can only dream of. With Leonard, the Raptors have a great team. However, they only have one true big-time star next to Leonard in Scottie Barnes and are betting heavily on second- and third-year players to deliver off the bench and fill bigger roles when Leonard is out. 

This doesn’t necessarily mean that the Raptors have to forcefully gather more stars around Leonard and Barnes, but a better safety net than what they currently have would be nice. After all, if the trade goes through, the Raptors face a lot of pressure to compete with the top teams in the Eastern Conference and make the most of whatever time Leonard has left as a go-to guy on a great team.

Playing without Leonard could be a challenge for the Raptors

Leonard put up 27.9 points per game last season. That’s exactly the kind of offensive production the Raptors need—someone who can just score at will. It’s also a level of scoring and offensive creation that’s impossible to make up for. 

Surviving the unavoidable absences on Leonard’s part will require a lot of effort from Scottie Barnes. When Brandon Ingram, the Raptors’ leading scorer from the regular season, struggled in the playoffs and then missed the last two games with a heel injury, Barnes had to step up and be a more aggressive scorer. He delivered with 24.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 8.6 assists, 1.7 blocks, and 1.1 steals per game. He will have to play like that whenever Leonard misses time. 

But the Raptors cannot expect Barnes alone to make up for Leonard’s absence all season long. RJ Barrett is another prime candidate to up his production whenever Leonard’s availability dictates it. Just like Barnes, he stepped up in the playoffs, putting up 24.1 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1.3 steals when the Raptors needed him the most. 

Outside of those two, Immanuel Quickley, Ja’Kobe Walter, and Collin Murray-Boyles will have to be reliable offensive contributors. Moreover, the Raptors will have to be able to trust in their defense and fall back on the tenacity that allowed them to force turnovers and score easy buckets in transition last season. 

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