Brian Geltzeiler on Kawhi’s Return To Toronto - Raptors Season Preview

It's a big day in Canada, Kyle, Dan, and Brian is with us because it's the Toronto Raptors kicking off their season.

The return of Kawhi Leonard's season, Brian.

It is the return of Kawhi Leonard, and listen, it's the return of a conquering hero, right? He brought the Raptors their only championship, and there's a lot of adulation and love for Kawhi Leonard from the Toronto fans.

One thing I worry a little bit about is I hope he's available enough to please them, because that has certainly been an ongoing chronic issue for Kawhi throughout his career, and we can't Can't escape the fact that he is a 35-year-old player.

Now, I will also say this.

He looked fantastic last season.

Last season, I voted for him second team All-NBA, and I felt very comfortable doing it.

He was absolutely terrific.

Can he kind of repeat that performance this year? If the Raptors have a chance to contend in the East, he's going to have to.

And I guess really what it comes down to with him is that ability to play.

I think he played 65 games last season, which was one of his highest totals.

He played them very, very well.

And then he had a completely quiet offseason in which he was rarely discussed whatsoever, and he finds himself back in Toronto.

But really, given the way he played last year combined with all of the offseason controversy, for him, he really couldn't have landed in a better spot than coming back home to Toronto, a city in which he led to a championship.

That is absolutely true.

First, I'll start with this guy.

Remember, I'm from New Jersey, all right? If he did to some people from New Jersey what he did to Steve Ballmer, he would have ended up in six different dumpsters, all right? So, like, he threw them up the river, man.

He sold them out ten ways coming and going.

With all that said, he also was able to use that to blaze a trail to get himself to Toronto, a place where he is a hero, a place where he is comfortable living.

living and playing.

And I think that's a very important factor in all this.

Kawhi likes the familiar.

And he originally was drafted by the Pacers, traded to the Spurs on draft night, and welcomed into that San Antonio nest with open arms.

And they helped him develop to be this incredible incredible star-like player, and I don't even think they projected him to end up like this, but through sheer hard work on his game, he turned himself into a superstar.

And listen, people talk a lot about what happened at the end of the San Antonio tenure.

It's a big day in Canada, Kyle, Dan, and Brian is with us because it's the Toronto Raptors kicking off their season.

The return of Kawhi Leonard's season, Brian.

It is the return of Kawhi Leonard, and listen, it's the return of a conquering hero, right? He brought the Raptors their only championship, and there's a lot of adulation and love for Kawhi Leonard from the Toronto fans.

One thing I worry a little bit about is I hope he's available enough to please them, because that has certainly been an ongoing chronic issue for Kawhi throughout his career, and we can't Can't escape the fact that he is a 35-year-old player.

Now, I will also say this.

He looked fantastic last season.

Last season, I voted for him second team All-NBA, and I felt very comfortable doing it.

He was absolutely terrific.

Can he kind of repeat that performance this year? If the Raptors have a chance to contend in the East, he's going to have to.

And I guess really what it comes down to with him is that ability to play.

I think he played 65 games last season, which was one of his highest totals.

He played them very, very well.

And then he had a completely quiet offseason in which he was rarely discussed whatsoever, and he finds himself back in Toronto.

But really, given the way he played last year combined with all of the offseason controversy, for him, he really couldn't have landed in a better spot than coming back home to Toronto, a city in which he led to a championship.

That is absolutely true.

First, I'll start with this guy.

Remember, I'm from New Jersey, all right? If he did to some people from New Jersey what he did to Steve Ballmer, he would have ended up in six different dumpsters, all right? So, like, he threw them up the river, man.

He sold them out ten ways coming and going.

With all that said, he also was able to use that to blaze a trail to get himself to Toronto, a place where he is a hero, a place where he is comfortable living.

living and playing.

And I think that's a very important factor in all this.

Kawhi likes the familiar.

And he originally was drafted by the Pacers, traded to the Spurs on draft night, and welcomed into that San Antonio nest with open arms.

And they helped him develop to be this incredible incredible star-like player, and I don't even think they projected him to end up like this, but through sheer hard work on his game, he turned himself into a superstar.

And listen, people talk a lot about what happened at the end of the San Antonio tenure.