OKC Thunder vs. Toronto Raptors, 2019-20 team preview

Leonard replacement:

As much as Kawhi is at minimum a top three star, but often Toronto’s offense moved better without him. Observe how the Raptors improved through each playoff series and notably once Leonard’s leg became more of an issue the ball movement increased and subsequently teammates who were mired in slumps starting scoring. That may be the best example of how timing and rhythm affect players. And – that is NOT a ringing endorsement for a Kawhi-less Raptors team – it’s not.

Toronto is comprised of players who for the most part can handle the ball, create their own (and others) shots and are predicated on ball movement. They’ll be fine in season but what happens in that slow crawl of the postseason? Does Siakam have to ascend another level and/or do Toronto need another A-list player? Greenie of Barstool Sports offers up part of the answer:

"Siakam averaged 19 points, 7.9 rebounds and 3.38 assists per game in the team’s 21 games without Leonard (both players sat one game together on March 30). He and Leonard also ranked second all-time in points scored in the playoffs by a duo (1,187 points), tying with Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen in 1992 and one spot behind Lebron James and Dwyane Wade in 2012 (1,222)."

In the short term, another step up by Siakam combined with the improvement of Anunoby and all that ball/player movement may be the answer. Longer term the answer likely rests in the summer of 2021 free agency.