Tip of the Tower
Fansided

Toronto Raptors: 3 players with everything to prove in 2018-19

By Paul Taylor

CLEVELAND, OH - MAY 7: The Toronto Raptors bench watches during the second half of Game 4 of the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena on May 7, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers defeated the Raptors 128-93. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - MAY 7: The Toronto Raptors bench watches during the second half of Game 4 of the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena on May 7, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers defeated the Raptors 128-93. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 4
Next
Toronto Raptors
TORONTO, ON – OCTOBER 5: Kawhi Leonard #2 and Danny Green #14 of the Toronto Raptors looks on from the bench during the second half of an NBA preseason game against Melbourne United at Scotiabank Arena on October 5, 2018 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) /

3) Kawhi Leonard

You may be wondering why the Raptors’ best player and one of the top three talents in the NBA on his day has been included on our list. However, the key phrase from the previous sentence is “on his day”.

No matter how good Leonard may be, regardless of what he has achieved in the past, he has to now prove himself all over again. Pure and simple, this is related to the events which impacted him last season.

More from Toronto Raptors

Fair or not, the two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year now has a negative reputation with many people around the league. This is in large part due to the controversy surrounding his injury issues, which limited him to a career-low nine games.

More specifically, that Leonard refused to return to action, even after the San Antonio Spurs’ medical staff cleared him as fit to play again. He felt there was still something wrong with him and he sought a second opinion.

This led to the Spurs holding a players-only meeting, where the 27-year-old’s teammates pleaded with him to return to the court. It was a tense and emotional meeting which ultimately proved unsuccessful.

However, the Spurs’ loss became the Raptors’ gain, as Leonard was eventually traded to Toronto. Now, the player needs to improve his credibility around the league, which should again help the Raptors.

While there is every chance the 2014 NBA Finals MVP will be one-and-done in Southern Ontario, he needs to have a productive season. Apart from returning to his previous form and showing he can be a good teammate again, he has to prove he is fully recovered from the right quadriceps injury which caused all the issues last season.

Doing so, will put Leonard in an extremely strong position to decide where he signs next summer. And if he does return to the form we all know he is capable of, the Raptors have an excellent chance of making their first ever appearance in the NBA Finals.

Next. 3 things to watch during the Raptors' season. dark

What’s your take on the three players listed in this article? Is there anyone else on the Toronto Raptors’ roster, who you believe should be included? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Home/Toronto Raptors