Kawhi Leonard Will Continue To Be Eased Back Into Full-Season Form

TheSportster

By Thomas Hall

Published Nov 4, 2018

Kawhi Leonard will continue to sit every now and then as the Raptors ease him into his regular form following a season-crippling injury last year.

The Raptors are planning to continue to rest Kawhi Leonard in one-half of back-to-back games until he is in mid-season form.

Leonard has sat out in one game of each of the Raptors first two back-to-back game series this season so far. Head coach, Nick Nurse, stated after Friday night's game against the Phoenix Suns that this would continue.

The Raptors next back-to-back series begins this Sunday against the Los Angeles Lakers, followed by the Utah Jazz on Monday.

However, it will be likely to see Leonard miss Monday's game over Sunday's because he is from the Los Angeles area. So, it would be unlikely he would want to sit out the game while in front of his hometown crowd.

Nurse also stated that he will take this situation game-by-game. But, it's assumed that this will continue into mid-season or until Leonard shows his conditioning is back to were it was before his injury last season.

Both Nurse and Leonard have stated that he isn't dealing with any lingering injury concerns from the right quad injury, that caused him to only play in nine games last season.

Leonard did jam his left ankle in Friday night's game against the Suns. He left the game in the fourth quarter and didn't return. After the game, Leonard spoke to the media and said he didn't think the injury was anything serious.

In seven games this season with the Raptors, Leonard is averaging 26 points per game. He is also averaging 7.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. While also shooting just over 50 percent from the field and 44.8 percent from the three.

Leonard has already proven to everyone around the league that he is in fact back. He has made the Raptors so much better than they were a year ago. Which is why they are easing him back into playing every game.

With Leonard only playing nine games a season ago, it makes sense for the time being to ease him back into playing back-to-back games. The Raptors have three back-to-back game series in the month of November.

So, don't be surprised if the Raptors and Leonard decide for him to only play in one game in each of those series. By doing so, that will allow Leonard to work on his conditioning so that he is in playoff form come April.