Kawhi Leonard’s return to the Toronto Raptors is still on hold until the investigation into the Clippers’ alleged salary-cap circumventions is wrapped up.
Zach Lowe reported on The Zach Lowe Show this week, “I’m still hearing optimism from people involved that this trade will go through.”
Assuming that optimism is warranted and Leonard will be a Raptor again, the team’s ceiling is much higher than it was last season. With Leonard, the Raptors have the veteran superstar and go-to scorer they lacked in the playoffs last season. If Leonard stays healthy, the Raptors could be one of the best two-way teams in the NBA.
The defensive potential is particularly scary. Scottie Barnes made the All-Defensive Second Team this past season, and Leonard is still a great defender at 35. Moreover, Collin Murray-Boyles already looks like the next Raptors player to get All-Defensive honors, and Jamal Shead and Ja’Kobe Walter are great perimeter defenders as well. Rookie Allen Graves also promises to be a disruptive defender from day one.
If healthy, the Raptors should be able to improve on what was the fifth-best defensive rating in the league last season. However, someone threatens to stand between them and the very best defensive rating.
“I don’t want to put any high expectations on it, but I really think we could be the best defensive team maybe behind the 7’5” guy,” Collin Murray-Boyles said in an interview with Will Lou on the Hello and Welcome pod.
Murray-Boyles didn’t expand on who the “7’5” guy” is, but he didn’t really need to. Victor Wembanyama looms large over any team trying to build a championship contender. He led a young Spurs team to the finals at just 22. He was named Defensive Player of the Year unanimously, and the Spurs had the third-best defensive rating in the regular season. The Spurs don’t need to make a ton of moves to become even more dangerous. It will come organically as Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper continue to develop.
If the trade goes through, it’s fair to put high expectations on the Raptors
Murray-Boyles may not “want to put any high expectations” on the Raptors’ defense, but if Kawhi Leonard returns to Toronto, the expectations should be high on both ends of the floor. Giving up your leading scorer, a former lottery pick, and several draft picks for a veteran star comes with significant pressure to win almost immediately.
Leonard is playing great basketball. His 27.9 points per game with the Clippers were a career high. Still, Leonard is 35 and injury-prone. The Raptors don’t have a ton of time to compete for a championship with a team built around him as the number-one option.
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