Key areas that may outline Kawhi Leonard’s match with the Raptors

TORONTO — “This summer we’re in talent acquisition (mode). We still need more, better players,” mentioned Toronto Raptors govt vp Bobby Webster on the group’s season-end media availability in May.

Well, they will test that field off. When Toronto finalized the Kawhi Leonard commerce on Monday, they formally reacquired probably the most proficient participant to put on a Raptors jersey.

Now the query is: how will their new and improved group mesh on the courtroom? 

To begin, Leonard’s resume is self-explanatory: Seven all-star choices, seven All-NBA groups, two Defensive Player of the Year honours, and, after all, two Finals MVPs, the second coming with the Raptors in 2019. It’s been some time since Leonard’s seen that form of glory, however his greatest enjoying days aren’t far behind him.

Last season, Leonard had profession highs in each factors per sport (27.9) and true capturing share (62.9). He completed seventh in MVP voting. The 35-year-old remains to be solidly among the many NBA’s elite and will take an upstart competitor just like the Raptors to contender standing.

But it is also removed from a assure. After departing Toronto for his hometown Los Angeles Clippers in 2019, they did not attain practically the identical heights. The furthest the Clippers made it was a convention finals berth in 2021, they usually did not make it previous the primary spherical for the following 5 seasons whereas Leonard struggled to remain wholesome.

When Leonard first joined the Raptors, it was a match made in heaven (on the courtroom). Toronto had the right mixture of veteran expertise and burgeoning youth to enrich the star wing. Then, with the Clippers, the group appeared dynamite on paper, however by no means fairly got here collectively.

Let’s have a look at just a few key areas that may outline Leonard’s match on the present iteration of the Raptors and take into account how he might increase the group’s ceiling.

Similarities and variations

Comparisons between Leonard and Brandon Ingram shall be pure after the commerce, with Leonard ostensibly changing Ingram within the Raptors’ beginning 5.

There are similarities between Ingram’s function within the Raptors’ offence final season and Leonard’s in 2018-19. Both had been elite, high-frequency isolation scorers. Both had been prime 5 in mid-range makes an attempt per sport (5.4 and 5.5 makes an attempt, respectively).

Another distinguishing function of the pair’s offence was the way it existed in isolation from the remainder of the Raptors’ offence. There was a definite distinction between a “Kawhi Leonard possession” or “Brandon Ingram possession” and a daily “Toronto Raptors possession.” Toronto’s present scheme is predicated on movement and fast ball motion, however each gamers would usually commandeer the ball. This is not essentially a nasty factor. It’s vital to have gamers who could make troublesome pictures, taking that burden off their teammates.

But final season, the Raptors steadily used a wide range of off-ball screens to release Ingram and get him to most popular areas of the ground. He completed third within the NBA in possessions utilizing off-ball screens. It did not take too lengthy for groups to determine this out. Eventually, Ingram usually obtained top-locked — a defender denied him from utilizing the display. When opposing defences additionally took away the backcut, Ingram usually lacked the physicality to battle via the aggressive protection, which might normally kill massive chunks of the shot clock earlier than he managed to get free, or end result within the Raptors simply enjoying four-on-four.

Leonard’s effectivity and forcefulness shall be a major improve right here. His true capturing share was 5.6 share factors greater than Ingram’s (57.3 per cent), an enormous gulf given the pair’s quantity. Leonard can also be stronger, making him higher geared up to wrestle with defenders and get use out of screens, ought to the Raptors proceed to make use of him equally.

Leonard has additionally progressed towards a extra fashionable shot food plan than Ingram over time, taking fewer lengthy mid-range makes an attempt and extra from three-point vary, together with one key shot sort that would revolutionize the Raptors’ offence.

Leonard can modernize Raptors’ offence together with his pull-up three-point capturing

The Raptors have been the worst pull-up three-point capturing group within the NBA over the past three seasons. Meanwhile, Leonard has leapt into the higher tier of pull-up threats.

Toronto not solely made the fewest pull-up triples over that span cumulatively, nevertheless it additionally completed final in every particular person season. The Raptors most not too long ago averaged 1.5 per sport on 5 makes an attempt. They took over 100 fewer pull-up threes than the Twenty ninth-place group, and 11 gamers made extra per sport than the Raptors did as a group final season(!). Then, within the playoffs, that dipped additional to 1.1 makes on 3.7 makes an attempt when their solely true pull-up shooter on the time, Immanuel Quickley, was out injured. Toronto did not make a pull-up three within the playoffs till RJ Barrett drained a pair close to the tip of Game 3.

Leonard made 1.4 pull-up threes on 3.6 makes an attempt final season, practically matching the Raptors’ output by himself. That’s good for 36.9 per cent, sixth among the many league’s highest-volume shooters (minimal 200 makes an attempt). He additionally shot 37.7 per cent on 2.1 makes an attempt per sport over the earlier three seasons. His maintained effectivity on elevated quantity final season is one other optimistic signal.

Making threes off the dribble is vital for a lot of causes. One, the ball going within the basket is how factors are scored. But it additionally offers a group one other means to beat a defence and adjustments how opposing groups react. Leonard’s potential to punish sagging defensive coverages or pull defenders additional up the ground will inject much-needed dynamism into the Raptors’ offence.

The worth of pull-up capturing additionally will increase within the playoffs. Teams took extra pull-up threes per sport within the post-season final yr, and efficient area objective share on pull-up makes an attempt correlated with profitable at a ten per cent greater price than within the common season for a second straight yr. Less environment friendly pictures can be found, making the robust ones matter extra. The Raptors will nonetheless be removed from the splash-brother Warriors, or the Timberwolves’ new two-headed flamethrower of Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball, however Leonard ought to assist pull them out of the pull-up three-point capturing basement and usher in a brand new, fashionable age.

How his play-type tendencies match inside Rajakovic’s system

Looking on the breakdown of Leonard’s play sort knowledge, he is a extra environment friendly scorer than Ingram in all of them. Let’s look at possessions per sport, the frequency of whole performs, factors per possession, and percentile rankings for a few key play sorts final season, compared to each the participant he is changing and Darko Rajaković’s system as an entire, beginning with pick-and-roll ball-handling.

(This comes with the caveat that each one of those numbers depend on the context surrounding them, which is altering this season.)

Ingram’s 3.6 pick-and-roll ball-handler possessions led the Raptors final season, and Leonard practically had him doubled. But Toronto did not run a lot pick-and-roll general. The query: Is this a philosophical choice by Rajaković, or was he merely working with the personnel he had? Considering his previous affinity for the play sort (Rajaković co-authored a tutorial paper on the pick-and-roll) and Leonard’s prowess, it stands to purpose the Raptors might run extra of it.

Leonard’s tight deal with right here additionally makes a giant distinction, leading to a 3 per cent decrease turnover frequency when utilizing ball screens.

They’re less-used play sorts, however Leonard additionally far outpaces Ingram as a scorer in isolation and post-ups. They remoted about the identical quantity final season, however Leonard was way more environment friendly. And when he will get a mismatch, his energy permits him to bully them nearer to the basket, fairly than fading from farther out excessive like Ingram usually did.

Another space the place Leonard will present important punch and function an improve over Ingram is in transition. The Raptors had been third within the NBA final season in transition frequency. But they struggled to totally capitalize on these alternatives, ending with middle-of-the-pack effectivity. Adding one other ahead who’s proficient at vacuuming up rebounds (board man will get paid), can push in transition after doing so, and can also be a hyper-efficient finisher in these conditions ought to juice the Raptors’ relentless working.

Leonard additionally had a 93rd-percentile steal price in keeping with Cleaning the Glass (it is by no means dipped beneath the 91st percentile in his profession), and the Clippers ran out in transition 2.3 per cent extra usually with him on the ground. Safe to say The Klaw will match into the Raptors’ run-by-any-means-necessary ethos.

How does Leonard match alongside Toronto’s present core on either side of the ball?

Adding a extra proficient participant typically has a multiplicative impact on a group, nevertheless it’s nonetheless value inspecting the extra granular methods Leonard might affect the Raptors’ ecosystem.

We have not touched on defence but, so let’s use Leonard’s steal price as a jumping-off level. I’d be remiss to not point out the stat that Joe Wolfond first identified: Leonard is one in all two gamers in NBA historical past with extra profession steals than turnovers. The different is Ben Wallace.

His athleticism has declined, however he nonetheless has these terrifying arms. Toronto’s high-pressure scheme featured uniquely aggressive assist rules. Leonard will discover affect as an off-ball defender blowing up performs within the gaps, particularly since he’ll tackle a tertiary function behind Scottie Barnes and Collin Murray-Boyles.

Jokes had been flying straight away on social media concerning the daunting prospect of going through Barnes, Leonard and Murray-Boyles on a succession of switches. But including a two-time Defensive Player of the Year to one of many league’s greatest younger duos, and a defence that ranked fifth within the NBA, is severe stuff. Moreover, all of them have the flexibility to protect throughout a number of positions, which is especially worthwhile within the playoffs, when creating mismatches via switches is essential.

Offensively, the Raptors already reaped the advantages of a proficient self-creator in Ingram taking harder pictures final season. Barnes’ effectivity leapt as his shot food plan higher match his talents. Leonard ought to transfer the needle additional.

RJ Barrett’s efficient slicing and satisfactory spot-up capturing slot in the same bucket, and his potential to shift between a secondary creator and a succesful pick-and-roll ball-handler on nights when Leonard may have relaxation may also be very important for the Raptors’ offence.

Meanwhile, Leonard taking over extra pick-and-roll possessions and on-ball reps general might release Immanuel Quickley to roam off-ball extra usually, the place he is been lethal as a catch-and-shoot possibility and took strides final season forming up round drives.

Toronto’s observe report of protecting stars wholesome bodes effectively for Leonard

All that is solely attainable if Leonard stays wholesome. Just because it was the primary time when Raptors vp of participant well being and efficiency Alex McKechnie invented load administration. OK, perhaps the good Gregg Popovich ought to get credit score for inventing it, however McKechnie undoubtedly popularized the time period.

Leonard performed simply 9 video games in his closing season with the Spurs as a result of proper quadriceps tendinopathy. Then, in 2018-19 with the Raptors, he rested for 20 video games, averted enjoying any back-to-backs, however suited up 60 instances and went on to win the championship. Bearing in thoughts Leonard’s well being points in latest seasons with the Clippers, McKechnie’s success working with Leonard and the pair’s familiarity with each other, a reunion is sensible.

McKechnie simply had comparable success with one other oft-injured star, as Ingram began a career-high 77 video games, after showing in solely 18 the season earlier than and averaging 49.5 all through his profession.

The match between Leonard and McKechnie could be a very powerful of all. The hyper-efficiency, pull-up threes, play-type enchancment and turnover differential. None of it occurs with out Leonard on the ground.