On Tuesday, Kawhi Leonard made his preseason debut in the Toronto Raptors‘ win over the New York Knicks.
Leonard played in a Raptors uniform for the first time since Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals. He looked phenomenal in Toronto’s dominating 148-98 win against the Knicks at the Scotiabank Arena.
The two-time NBA Finals MVP finished with 21 points, five rebounds and two steals on 6-for-12 shooting from the field, knocking down four 3-point shots.
Scottie Barnes Reacts to Leonard’s Preseason Debut
Speaking to reporters after the game, Scottie Barnes was in awe of Kawhi Leonard. Barnes was playing alongside Leonard for the first time and was blown away by how good his new teammate was, especially defensively.
“Defensively, oh my God, he looked amazing, the way he played today,” Barnes said via Michael Grange of Sportsnet. “Just being active, poking at the ball, physicality. It was amazing.”
Barnes is no slouch on defense, but he was still impressed with Leonard’s instincts on that end. They form a very good defensive duo for the Toronto Raptors, though it’s a matter of staying healthy with Leonard.
The 35-year-old star is coming off the best scoring season of his career. He averaged 27.9 points per game on 50.5 percent shooting. He also stayed relatively healthy last season, playing a league minimum of 65 games.
Leonard on His First Preseason Game
In his postgame media availability, Kawhi Leonard was asked to assess his preseason debut for the Toronto Raptors. Leonard felt good and enjoyed the crowd support at the Scotiabank Arena.
Leonard also talked about taking the onus on defense while praising his teammates.
“I mean, we came in focused on defense, and that was my intention,” Leonard said. “I wanted to get out there, get after it, and get tired. Still want to get in better shape, but it was fun to play.”
“As I said before, the guys have been great. From (Immanuel Quickley) to Jamal (Shead), Scottie, RJ (Barrett), (Jakob Poeltl), and everybody else, they’ve been helping me out and trying to make the transition so easy.”
The Raptors acquired Kawhi Leonard via trade with the Los Angeles Clippers last month in exchange for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two first-round picks, a first-round pick swap and two second-round picks.
Leonard got his fresh start after dealing with the Clippers salary circumvention saga, which resulted in a $700,000 fine against him. He will look to lead the Raptors back to glory. He carried the franchise to their first and only NBA championship in 2019.
Raptors Star Scottie Barnes Gets Blown Away by Kawhi Leonard Preseason Debut