All eyes will be on the Toronto Raptors and San Antonio Spurs Thursday night when Kawhi Leonard and DeMar DeRozan clash in one of the most anticipated matchups of the NBA season.
The storylines surrounding this showdown are loaded with drama. Leonard returns to San Antonio — where he spent the first seven seasons of his career — for the first time since requesting a trade in June. The 2014 Finals MVP’s relationship with the Spurs soured over the handling of a quad injury last season, and it’ll be beyond intriguing to see what kind of reception he receives.
Meanwhile, DeRozan will have his first chance to exact revenge against the team that blindsided him. The four-time all-star poured his heart into the city of Toronto and the Raptors franchise, then felt betrayed as Masai Ujiri and Co. kicked him out of the “family.” He’s had this game circled on his calendar for a while and is surely licking his chops at the opportunity to get back at his former club.
Ahead of Thursday’s fireworks, here’s a look at how both Leonard and DeRozan have fared in their new surroundings.
| Kawhi Leonard | DeMar DeRozan | |
|---|---|---|
| Games played | 30 | 38 |
| Minutes per game | 34.8 | 35.2 |
| Points per game | 27.3 | 22.9 |
| Assists per game | 2.8 | 6.3 |
| Rebounds per game | 8.2 | 5.9 |
| Field-goal percentage | 49.7% | 47.7% |
| Three-point percentage | 36.1% | 17.5% |
| Free-throw percentage | 85.5% | 83.7% |
| Steals per game | 1.6 | 1.0 |
| Blocks per game | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| Turnovers per game | 2.0 | 2.4 |
| Net rating | +6.7 | 0 |
| Win shares | 5.0 | 3.7 |
Leonard has been exactly what the doctor ordered for the Raptors, who have sat atop the NBA standings for the vast majority of the 2018-19 season. Bounced from the playoffs by LeBron James’ Cleveland Cavaliers in three consecutive years, Toronto now boasts a legitimate top-five player who can swing a game with both his offence and defence.
The 27-year-old is averaging career-highs in both points and rebounds per game and has shouldered an even bigger load with Kyle Lowry sidelined due to injury. The only knock on Leonard to this point would be that he has yet to appear in both games of a back-to-back set — something coach Nick Nurse says will change in the near future.
All told, Leonard looks every bit like the MVP candidate the Raptors hoped they were acquiring. He also enters Thursday’s game on the heels of a career-best 45-point performance, so it’ll be interesting to see what he does for an encore.
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DeRozan remains one of the most reliable scorers in the league, but his first year in San Antonio has also seen him take on more of a playmaking role. The Compton, Calif., native is averaging 6.3 assists per game — easily the highest mark of his career.
His midrange-heavy style is fitting in quite well with the Spurs, who shoot fewer three-pointers than any other team in the league. Individually, he’s taking just 1.1 triples per game, which is down from 3.6 in 2017-18. The defence remains an issue, but DeRozan is putting together another strong campaign for a Spurs squad looking to push its playoff streak to an astounding 22 consecutive seasons.
Get your popcorn ready, Leonard versus DeRozan promises to be a good one.
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