After a season filled with organizational turmoil and questions surrounding his long-term health, Kawhi Leonard has started the 2018-2019 season looking like a superstar.
There was lingering concern that Kawhi might never return to the player who was once considered one of the NBA’s best two-way talents after missing all but nine games last season with a somewhat ambiguous quad injury, but through the first seven games, he’s firmly re-established himself among the league’s elite and is in the early conversation for MVP.
He’s also led his new team, the Toronto Raptors, to a perfect 7-0 start when he’s in the lineup — he’s missed two games for rest and the team is 1-1 in those. Leonard will sit again in what was supposed to be a must-see showdown on Sunday against LeBron and the Lakers, as Kawhi will be watching from the sidelines with a sore foot, as coach Nick Nurse told the media in L.A. on Sunday.
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Fans were eagerly anticipating the Raptors’ matchup with the Lakers, not only because it would’ve featured two of the NBA’s top talents, but because Los Angeles was Kawhi’s preferred destination when he requested a trade from the Spurs last summer, and there is still some belief that Kawhi could end up there next summer when he hits free agency.
Raptors fans, of course, are hoping that the team can sustain this hot start and give him more incentive to stick around. Kawhi has been averaging 26.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game so far this season, which are career highs across the board.
