Toronto Raptors: 3 takeaways from Game 4 of 2019 NBA Finals

1. It’s Kawhi’s world and we’re just living in it

Kawhi Leonard is not the closest thing to Michael Jordan, but he may be the closest thing to Kobe Bryant we have seen.

Leonard, much like the aforementioned NBA legends, plays his greatest when the lights are brightest, his critics are loudest and when all the eyes are watching.

But like his new meme-able quote, Boardman gets paid.

Kawhi Leonard has been the best player on both ends of the court on a consistent basis, and quite honestly, it hasn’t been close.

When the Toronto Raptors fell into an 11-point deficit in the first quarter, Kawhi Leonard kept the Raptors above water with 14 first-quarter points and his ball-hawking tenacity on the defensive end against sharpshooters Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.

Kawhi Leonard polished off a spectacular night with 36 points and 12 rebounds on 11-of-22 shooting from the field and 5-of-9 from long range, not to mention his defensive contribution of four steals and one block.

How’s that for a two-way player?

In all seriousness, Kawhi Leonard presents the Kevin Durant-less Warriors’ biggest nightmare, a level-headed superstar that can exploit the Warriors’ lack of frontcourt depth.

With the Toronto Raptors taking a commanding 3-1 lead heading back to the Scotiabank Arena, Kawhi Leonard has the opportunity to be immortalized as the greatest Raptor of all time with one more win, surpassing beloved former Raptors Vince Carter and DeMar DeRozan in just one season.