Toronto Raptors: 3 takeaways from bounce-back Game 2 vs. Magic

2. Kawhi is good

You can replace “good” with “great,” “fantastic,” “beast mode,” “unreal” or whichever adjective you like. At the end of the day, Kawhi Leonard was a superstar and showed how good he can be in a playoff setting. He was absolutely dominant from start to finish, and he was the main engine fueling the Raptors both offensively and defensively.

https://twitter.com/NBAonTNT/status/1118342468917846016

Many pondered why Kawhi was held to 33 minutes in Game 1, but despite his early foul trouble in Game 2, his aggression never let up — especially in the third quarter when he dropped 17 of his 37 points. He was attacking the rim at ease, hitting step-back 3s, drilling pull-ups from the mid-range and playing tenacious defense.

When Kawhi plays like this Finals MVP version of himself, it elevates the Raptors’ championship hopes.