Leonard makes strong impression in first practice with Raptors

Josh Lewenberg

TSN Raptors Reporter

Follow| Archive

VANCOUVER – After a chaotic summer and everything that came with it – a trade request, the blockbuster deal that sent him to Toronto, speculation about his health and whether or not he would even report to his new team – Kawhi Leonard was relieved to finally get back to work on Tuesday morning.

It had been over eight months since the all-star forward last played organized, 5-on-5 basketball, dating back to his final game in San Antonio on Jan. 13, so – naturally – there was a bit of rust to shake off. Still, Leonard’s first practice as a member of the Toronto Raptors was a resounding success, according to those that were there to see it, as well as the player himself.

Most importantly, he reported no residual effects of the right quad injury that cost him all but nine games last season.

“It felt great,” Leonard said following the morning session at Fortius Sport & Health in Burnaby, B.C. “It felt great to just run up and down and compete.”

“He looked good,” said head coach Nick Nurse. “You can certainly see his level at times. He’s a little rusty out there, but you can certainly see his strength, his vision, his ball handling, those kind of things. He looked good.”

“They did a great job of letting us move along with the drills pretty quickly, conditioning drills,” Leonard added. “It was a great practice today. I enjoyed it. [I’ll] come back tonight, get some shots up, and get ready for round two.”

The first day of training camp is always an exciting one for players and coaches, most of whom are itching to get back on the court after a long off-season. For Leonard and the Raptors, it offered a first look at their promising new partnership and the chance to start building the chemistry they’ll need to reach that lofty potential as a team.

That’s a process that will take more than a few hours in the gym, or even the week they’re spending out West.

Unlike past seasons, when the Raptors went into camp with continuity atop their roster, this group doesn’t have the benefit of familiarity out of the gate. Not only are they bringing a new superstar into the fold, but they’ve also got a first-year head coach to get accustomed to – albeit one that’s been in the Toronto system for the last five years – and several other new faces to work in.

“We’re building a new team this year,” Leonard said. “It always takes time to create that chemistry. Knowing where guys are going to be, me knowing where their spots are, them knowing where my spots are, that stuff takes time, it takes practice and game playing.”

“I think I kind of look at this whole preseason and training camp as us trying to search for some different combinations just for the sake of it,” Nurse echoed. “We gotta get to know them. They gotta get to know me a little bit, and we’ll see a lot of learning and a lot of growth going on here. I'm looking forward to it.”

This was also Nurse’s first opportunity to do some hands-on coaching with the team and its new best player. Granted, it’s still early, but Leonard is already impressed with the head coach’s approach.

“[Nurse is] open-minded, ready to adjust on the fly,” said Leonard – a ringing endorsement from someone that has only played for one head coach during his seven-year NBA career: the legendary Gregg Popovich. “[He’s] just a brilliant mind, loves the game of basketball. I’ve got to talk to him more, this was just my first practice, but we’re going to develop a good relationship.”

“I enjoy a new challenge. It’s a new team for me. It’s going to take some time. His stuff is pretty simple, that’s what makes him a good coach. He adjusts as well.”

With the addition of Leonard and Danny Green – who have made five NBA All-Defensive teams between them – to a group that already includes the likes of Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby, the Raptors project to be one of the league’s best and most versatile defensive teams. All four of those guys can comfortably defend at least three positions, enabling Nurse to get creative with his coverages, also opening up a myriad of different lineup combinations he can deploy. Their upside on that end of the floor was something that stood out, even after one practice. 

“Yeah, it just shows,” Siakam said. “We have a lot of length. We’re just excited about getting stops and running – and that’s better, especially for me, because I am going to be the first down the floor. But the more stops we can get, the more we can score and the better we will look. So yeah, it’s exciting.”

The Raptors will spend the rest of the week in Vancouver, where they’ve opened camp in four of the last five seasons, holding two-a-days on Tuesday and Thursday, before playing their first exhibition game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Rogers Arena on Saturday.