Kawhi Leonard is relieved to be back on the court following a tumultuous 2017-18 season with the San Antonio Spurs.
“It’s going to take time to get my rhythm, but I felt great being out there and just being able to compete,” Leonard said after Saturday’s 122-104 preseason win over the Portland Trail Blazers, per TSN’s Josh Lewenberg. “Just having fun.”
Leonard finished his unofficial Toronto debut with 12 points (3-of-8 shooting), three assists and a rebound. Those numbers don’t jump off the screen, but the biggest takeaway was that Leonard looked spry and got to all of his usual spots following a season in which he appeared in nine games because of a nagging quad injury.
“I think everybody saw Kawhi, he was shaking off some rust, right? But you can obviously see the level that he has and I think he looks like we’re all running around really fast and he gets it and everything goes into slow motion,” head coach Nick Nurse said, according to The Star’s Doug Smith. “It’s kind of a gift for guys that are as good as him and it’s neat to watch, too.”
Leonard and the Raptors will continue their preseason tour when they clash with Donovan Mitchell and the Utah Jazz on Tuesday night at Vivint Smart Home Arena.
Courtesy: Bleacher Report
