Well, that didn't take long. Just four games into his return season with the Toronto Raptors, star Kawhi Leonard was ruled out due to injury, highlighting his biggest problem. Look, no one will ever accuse Kawhi of being an NBA ironman, but the Raptors were probably hoping that he would be relatively healthy this season.
Now, he will be out for roughly 3-4 weeks before being reevaluated. That means he could be out at least a month, perhaps much longer. If he were to miss six weeks, that would be roughly 14 games. If he were to miss two months, that would be about 27 games—a third of the season.
Considering the Raptors traded an all-star and two first-round picks for him, that's disappointing but not entirely unexpected.
The Raptors knew what they were getting when they traded for Kawhi Leonard
Don't feel sorry for the Raptors. They took a calculated risk by reacquiring Kawhi, and this was part of what they signed up for. They are no doubt hoping that he will be healthy when it matters and can give them a massive boost in the NBA playoffs.
They aren't wrong; it's a reasonable gamble. Even if he plays 45 games during the regular season, as long as he's healthy for 20 games during the playoffs, that's really all that matters.
Granted, his track record with playoff health is pretty poor, but the Raptors didn't have many ways to get dramatically better, and this was the path they chose. Now, they must wait and see how Kawhi responds.
Kawhi Leonard must quiet his critics on the court this season
After Kawhi left his former team, the L.A. Clippers, in ruins following the NBA's punishment for salary cap circumvention, he should want to quiet critics. He got off with very little punishment while essentially selling the Clippers out after they allegedly paid him through an endorsement deal.
Paying him a max contract, plus millions in extra payments, only for him to miss significant time not only makes the Clippers look ridiculous. It also doesn't paint Kawhi in the best light.
Going back to Toronto was his chance to rebuild his crumbling reputation, and he is already back on the injury report. However, whether the Raptors' decision to trade for him was worth it won't be measured in the regular season. It will be determined by if--and how-- he plays in the postseason.
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