If one was to lock a group of mad basketball scientists in a room and tell them to design the kind of player they would want for the current NBA era, it’s not hard to figure what they would eventually come up with.They would want someone “long,” to use one of the euphemisms of the day, lanky with arms that hang down around the knees, a six-foot-seven frame that’s at the same time muscular and lithe.They’d want someone capable of defending multiple positions and playing them on offence, a wing who could check some bigs, a big who could score against slower players and physically dominate smaller ones. Someone who could shoot three-pointers and attack the basket, because being multi-faceted is the way the game is going.They’d want someone who could be considered low maintenance, someone “coachable” who could be plugged into a system and thrive.It wouldn’t take long for those great minds to come up with what they want and they’d emerge unscathed and with a player in mind.A player like Kawhi Leonard.Of course, there are many questions to be answered, chemistry issues to figure out, practices to be held and coaching philosophies to be developed. But Leonard is the most intriguing player to put on a Raptors uniform in more than a decade.And not just because of what he can do for himself. His presence should elevate the team in all facets of the game, which is what makes him stand out more than anyone else on the roster.His defensive versatility should allow new head coach Nick Nurse to experiment with all kinds of switching schemes that are now in vogue. The Raptors won’t ever have to “hide” Leonard; they can use him in a variety of ways.It’s the same on offence. When he first broke into the league, the question was whether he could consistently score and shoot or whether he was going to be a one-trick defensive pony.He’s not at the elite three-point shooting level but his abilit ...
|
