Kawhi Leonard: The Breaker of Toronto's Postseason Chains
Virtually all of the qualities that make Kawhi Leonard special were on display during the Toronto Raptors' 108-95 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday, not the least of which was his total disregard for his franchise's historical playoff failures.
It also didn't hurt that Leonard looked like the best player on the planet in Toronto's Game 1 victory.
Leonard finished with 45 points and 11 rebounds on 16-of-23 shooting and didn't waste time piling up those numbers. His 27 first-half points came on 10 makes in 14 attempts and represented his highest total in any postseason half. Leonard punctuated a coolly detached performance with bursts of fiery play throughout the night, turning in a signature sequence with just under four minutes left in the third quarter.
As brilliant as Leonard's dunk-triggering denial was, you got an even better idea of his value to the Raptors if you managed to calm yourself quickly enough to watch Toronto's very next offensive possession.
Leonard began to attack Tobias Harris off the dribble, didn't like what he saw in the lane and backed out beyond the three-point arc. He assessed the situation and bolted forth again, this time forcing Harris deep into the key and drawing help. Danny Green was wide-open on the right wing, Leonard found him, and Green buried a three that gave Toronto an 86-70 lead.
It was a perfect example of Leonard's controlled ferocity. In that moment, with an entire arena still apoplectic following a highlight swat and dunk, Leonard slowed down and made the right read. It was as if he couldn't hear the deafening noise that hadn't yet subsided. As if he couldn't feel the building still vibrating.
That's exactly the kind of steadying influence Toronto will need to convince doubters of its potential as a true title threat. And it shouldn't be a surprise that Leonard has this quality in spades.
We all make light of his wooden personality, and on the rare occasion he laughs, we meme the moment to within an inch of its life. He's undeniably wired to stay even-keeled in the heat of competition. But let's not forget where his demeanor and game were forged.
With the San Antonio Spurs, paragons of workmanlike dominance, he watched up close as Manu Ginobili turned into a human comet, incinerating everything around him for minutes at a time. And then he watched Tim Duncan, totally expressionless, hit a backbreaking bank shot to punctuate the firestorm.
Leonard was born and bred to do this.
The Raptors have never had a player quite like Leonard, and it seems clear through one game in this series that the Sixers don't have one right now.
Leonard didn't smash the Sixers alone.
Pascal Siakam was the second-best player on the floor, and he finished with 29 points on 12-of-15 shooting.
Marc Gasol pulled Joel Embiid out of the paint on offense, opening lanes of attack for teammates, and then stonewalled Philly's hulking center on the other end. He led Toronto with a plus-29 in 26 minutes, trailed closely by Kyle Lowry, whose typically mischievous defense (three offensive fouls drawn) and relentless effort produced a plus-25 on a night he shot just 4-of-10 from the field.
Embiid finished with 16 points on 5-of-18 shooting and, aside from a few highlight moments, struggled to control the lane like he did against the Brooklyn Nets' willowy defenders in the first round.
These were few and far between:
The Sixers may not have an answer for Leonard, but they've got reason to expect improved results. Philadelphia predictably controlled the offensive glass against a Raptors team that finished the year ranked 18th in defensive rebound percentage. The Sixers can count on a few extra possessions per game as the series progresses, and they'll need them.
Philly can also capitalize on Toronto's occasionally negligent tracking of JJ Redick, who couldn't hit any of several clean looks in the first half but heated up to hit four threes in the first few minutes of the third quarter. He finished 5-of-12 from deep.
Toronto can't continue to let him run free without consequences.
Those feel like faint glimmers of hope when measured against the blinding light of Toronto's Leonard-led effort.
Zoom out, and this series involves two teams that added stars to rosters that were already formidable. The Raptors and Sixers made those additions—Leonard and Gasol in Toronto, Jimmy Butler and Harris in Philly—with an eye on a ring. Based on Game 1, it appears Toronto has the brightest of those star additions. More than that, it has the one who fits best.
Leonard's skill is transcendent, but his demeanor and experience are perfect for a team that will face doubts about its playoff sturdiness until it hoists a trophy.
This was just one game, but it was also Game 1. For Toronto, 3-14 in series openers after Saturday's triumph, a win like this means something extra.
It means Leonard, in addition to burying the Sixers, is also the guy who can help the Raptors bury the past.
