The Raptors are about ready to start playing Kawhi Leonard in back-to-back games, relays Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Leonard was limited to nine games last season with a quad injury and Toronto hasn’t used him on consecutive nights since acquiring him in an offseason trade. However, coach Nick Nurse told reporters tonight that it will happen soon.
“I think we are there,” Nurse said. “I think, after we get here to the new year, we’ll be there. No promises, but I think we’re there.”
Leonard is posting MVP-level numbers in his first season in Toronto, averaging 26.8 points, 8.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.8 steals per game. He was inactive tonight after scoring 37 points Friday. It’s the ninth game he has missed this season, with five of those being classified as “load management.” The next back-to-back on the Raptors’ schedule will be January 5 and 6 against the Bucks and Pacers.
There’s more from north of the border:
- Leonard is still bitter over a comment from Kevin Durant four years ago, which could provide complications for any team hoping to add both star free agents, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. After Leonard was named MVP of the 2014 Finals, Durant seemed to dismiss the accomplishment, saying he was a product of the Spurs’ system.
- OG Anunoby provided a glimpse of the talent that some people have been raving about in Friday’s win over the Cavaliers, writes Doug Smith of The Toronto Star. Starting for the fourth time this season, Anunoby tied his career highs with 21 points and eight rebounds. “I was planning on his growth being really a big leap forward this year,” Nurse said before the game. “For any number of reasons it hasn’t happened yet, but I still believe in the guy. I still believe we’re going to see that.” Anunoby is a versatile defender in addition to his offensive skills, but Smith notes that it’s hard to carve out minutes for him when the lineup is fully healthy.
- Norman Powell‘s return from injury could squeeze C.J. Miles out of the rotation, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports. The 31-year-old has seen his production regress in his second season with Toronto, averaging 5.1 PPG in 28 games while shooting .315 from the floor and .286 from 3-point range. He has an $8.73MM player option for next season.
Lol i love durant but eff that statement. That means his succesess are cuz he is a product of the thunder system.
And again i think hes great, but russ is averaging a 3D for the third year in a row, an harden won an mvp. Actually there are a lot of former thunder players that have done well.
Durant has become such an unappealing player over the years.
I love that Durant and Leonard don’t particularly like each other or at least aren’t buddy-buddy with each other. I wish more star players were like that.
I’m not going to go into “old man mode” and claim that the basketball of the past is much superior to today’s, because it’s not really true. However, the atmosphere of the Magic/Bird rivalry or the Wilt/Russell rivalry or the Jordan/Ewing, Jordan/Barkley, Jordan/Malone rivalry was so much better than the AAU-driven team ups of today. I didn’t want to see Durant go join Curry, I wanted to see who would win between the two. I didn’t want to see LeBron join Dwyane Wade, I wanted to see one beat the other. But it is what it is. I can just hope that today’s NBA can occasionally remind me of the great past rivalries.
Funny that Durant made that comment, and then needed to become part of the “Warriors system” to win a title.