TORONTO — The Raptors’ 2018-19 championship team has aged well.
In the ensuing years, that roster has produced three first-time all-stars. That’s not even including OG Anunoby, one of the league’s premiere two-way players and an essential component of the Knicks’ 2026 title team.
Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet, and Norman Powell were all considered complementary pieces on an incredibly deep and talented squad that featured Kawhi Leonard and Kyle Lowry, but they’ve each become stars in their own right – and the paycheques they’ve earned reflect that.
One thing those guys have in common is the eight months they spent in Leonard’s orbit. The enigmatic superstar forward was 27 at the time. He’s soft spoken – mostly the lead-by -example type – and famously, he didn’t want to be in Toronto or plan to stay for very long. But even in just one season, Leonard left a mark on his Raptors teammates. How could he not?
“I learned a lot, mainly about his poise and how he doesn’t get rattled,” Siakam said before a game against Leonard and the Clippers back in November 2019. “I try to do that and add that to my game. When I miss a few shots, I just stay confident. That’s something he had.”
There was plenty to take from Leonard then and there’s even more to take from him now. In his second tenure with Toronto, the future Hall of Famer is eight years older and more experienced. He’s made seven All-Star Games and seven All-NBA Teams. He’s a seven-time all-league defender and two-time Defensive Player of the Year winner. He has a couple of Finals MVP trophies to go along with his two championship rings.
This time, he has a whole new crop of pupils, and this time, he actually wants to be here and is fully embracing his leadership role.
“I’ll be leading, trying to help guys get better,” Leonard said at his (re-)introductory press conference on the eve of training camp. “The rookies, anybody that needs help, I’m here. [I’m a] good teammate, cool dude, so I think they could reach out to me at any time, text messages, or calls or even on the floor, practice, games.”
TSN conducted a straw poll in camp, asking 10 members of the Raptors’ coaching staff and front office who on the roster stands to benefit most from Leonard’s presence (other than the obvious answer: everyone).
The question was left intentionally vague, open to interpretation. Some players will undoubtedly benefit more from sharing the court with the 14-year vet, capitalizing off the defensive attention that he draws. Some can learn how to be pros or take their individual workout routines to the next level by watching his meticulous training regimen. Some will take advantage of the opportunities that present themselves with Leonard in the lineup, or when he’s not.
“You continue to see a really high level of work ethic and excellence,” general manager Bobby Webster said of Leonard. “Players can see it pregame in his diligence. People can see it postgame in his recovery. You don’t continue to play at the age of 35 if you’re not doing that. Those types of habits are probably what will rub off the most.”
Which player can take the most from him? There’s more than one right answer, which is why four different guys received votes.
Scottie Barnes: three votes
This is the easiest and most obvious answer. Barnes is coming off an all-star season and was remarkable in the seven-game playoff series against Cleveland. It feels like he’s been around forever, but he only turned 25 in August and is just entering his prime. Playing with and learning from someone who’s been where he wants to go is the type of thing that can help take him to the next level as a player and a pro.
One Raptors executive suggested that Barnes could be the Scottie Pippen to Leonard’s Michael Jordan; it’s what they envisioned when they made the trade with the Clippers over the summer. That’s obviously the highest of bars, but if you squint hard enough you can appreciate the comparison. Leonard is a proven alpha, a transcendent and generational talent who, when healthy, can make just about any team an instant contender. Barnes is the ideal do-it-all co-star. If nothing else, they should immediately form one of the best and most unique duos in the (current) NBA.
Playing with Brandon Ingram, a certified bucket-getter and offensive fulcrum, opened the game up for Barnes a year ago. Now, imagine what Leonard’s gravity as a better and more willing shooter will do to take the pressure off. In an interview with TSN last week, Barnes identified isolation and fourth-quarter scoring as the areas of his game that could’ve been better in the playoffs. Those are two of the many things that should come easier with the Fun Guy around.
“He’s just going to open up so much,” Barnes said in that interview. “The defence is going to have to be focused on him. He can make shots at a high level. He just plays the game the right way, and once you do that on both ends of the floor, I feel like it’s going to bring out the best in both of our games.”
Collin Murray-Boyles: three votes
Murray-Boyles looks at Leonard and sees a version of what his future could look like (if he plays his cards right and everything falls into place). Remember: Leonard wasn’t always on this trajectory. He came into the league as a 15th-overall pick. He had great size, enormous hands, and all the tools to be an impact defender, but he was raw offensively – he shot 25 per cent from three-point range on a low volume in two collegiate seasons at San Diego State. Sound like a familiar profile?
The Raptors’ sophomore forward isn’t lacking for work ethic. He took up distance running, changed his diet, and transformed his body over the summer – impressive dedication and discipline for a 21-year-old. But Leonard offers young players a blueprint. Being around him every day, getting to pick his brain and watch him work, could be life-changing at this early and impressionable stage of CMB’s career.
“How to get to where he’s at – that’s the biggest thing I’m really focused on,” Murray-Boyles told TSN. “Obviously, how to win also. He’s a winner. He’s a proven winner. So, literally just what it takes to get to his position. Obviously, I see the amount of work that he puts in. He’s working out like he’s just getting into the league, and he’s 35. He’s already proven everything. He has nothing else to prove. So, just trying to pick his brain on his mentality, what keeps him going still, and trying to be as much of a sponge as possible to all the knowledge that he has.”
Ja’Kobe Walter: three votes
Walter was seven when Leonard came into the league. His dad first encouraged him to watch and study the Spurs star, calling him “a true two-way player.”
“That’s kinda why I am the way I am,” Walter said. “He was a big inspiration for me as a kid to play offence and defence, because not a lot of people like to do that.”
As one Raptors coach pointed out, Walter is in line to see an expanded role and start games when Leonard is out of the lineup. The often-injured star hasn’t played more than 68 games in a decade. With his history and at his age, the team intends to manage his workload throughout the regular season, like they did in 2018-19, when he appeared in 60 games. So, opportunity knocks and Walter is the biggest beneficiary.
Beyond that, there’s plenty that a 22-year-old ascending two-way player can learn from Leonard.
“Having him on the team is huge for us,” Walter said. “His mentality is going to change the way we play. His vet presence, what he’s been through, you can tell why he is the way he is. The way that he communicates with the coaches, communicates with the players, I can tell he’s serious about how much he wants to win.”
RJ Barrett: one vote
This one has layers. Technically, Leonard’s presence is one of the factors that complicates Barrett’s long-term future with his hometown team.
The Canadian swingman is going into the final season of his contract, and according to multiple league sources, there’s been little traction on an extension. It’s not for a lack of mutual interest. However, getting anything done over the summer was virtually impossible, with the Clippers trade on hold, and finding a number that works for both sides is increasingly difficult now that Leonard is owed $165 million over the next three seasons.
Barrett’s expiring contract could be a valuable salary-matching tool at the trade deadline. He’s extension eligible until the end of June, so there’s a plausible scenario where they work something out late in the season if he isn’t moved in February. However it shakes out, Barrett will need to continue doing what he’s done since the moment he landed in Toronto: prove himself.
For the Leonard load management plan to work, the Raptors will need to have two different versions of the team ready to go at a moment’s notice: a team with Kawhi and a team without Kawhi. Barrett will be the key to pulling that off.
With Ingram in the lineup, the 26-year-old was as efficient as ever, showing that he could do more with less. When Ingram struggled and eventually went down with an injury in the playoffs, Barrett carried the offence and led the team in scoring. As his role has continued to fluctuate, he’s proven that he’s able and willing to go from being the third or fourth option on offence one day to the second, or even first option, the next.
The coach that voted for him mentioned that, at 26, he’s still a growing player and while he’s excellent at getting to the rim, he could benefit from expanding his post game. Taking a move or two from the crafty Leonard couldn’t hurt.