The Toronto Raptors ran a magical run in 2019, allowing them to run another title. Unfortunately, when Kawhi Leonard left the team, their ceilings were limited.
Before the 2018-19 season, Kawi Leonard was in a bad situation with the San Antonio Spurs. He was a star of the franchise, but they had been dropped due to his health situation, leading to many potential moves, including trade with the Los Angeles Lakers.
He ended up trading with the Toronto Raptors, with only one year left on the contract. The 2018-19 season was important for both Leonard and the Raptors. The Raptors have lost their normal suffering since LeBron James signed with the Lakers.
Leonard led the Raptors to their first NBA Championship and was the best player. With that success, people thought he would commit his long-term future to the Raptor. This has left Raptors fans in grief, but even his teammates seem to be sad about the move.
After the 2019 Championship, the Raptors remained one of the best teams in the league due to their talented core. Toronto had a 53-19 regular season record and finished second for Giannis’ Anteto Compo-led Milwaukee Bucks.
This team consists primarily of the core of the 2019 Championship, and having Leonard could have propelled them to another NBA title. The Raptors lost to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semi-finals in the 7-game series.
If they had Leonard, that might have changed. His former Raptors teammate, Sage Ibaka, feels he has the opportunity to win one or two more championships.
“Yeah, man, I don’t like to talk about it. I didn’t believe it, so I didn’t actually try to recruit him. I thought he would stay. I didn’t think he would actually leave,” Ibaka welcomed, hi.
“We’ve just won the championship and we have a great team. We can take as many games as he wants. The team will still win without him.”
“We’ve just won the championship and we have a great team. He can take as many games as he wants. The team is still going to win without him.
Leonard left the Raptors and joined the Los Angeles Clippers, a team that still plays today. Unfortunately, he has not replicated the success he experienced with Spurs and the raptors.
The two-time Finals MVP wanted to return to California, the state he grew up in. It was a fair decision, but if he had stayed with the Raptor he might have had a better career and legacy.
Of course, Leonard has suffered many injuries over the years during the Clippers’ stint. However, when returning to Toronto, a hindsight resume would be better.
Most people knew that the Raptors had a solid team, so Ibaka’s feelings about movements are effective. The 2019 Championship and its follow-up campaign were great, but not intended. Thankfully, he still has a strong reputation as a winner.