Toronto Raptors star small forward Kawhi Leonard says he's feeling good and has no pain after playing in his first basketball game since January.
Leonard only played in nine games last season with the San Antonio Spurs due to a lingering quadriceps injury. The two-time Defensive Player of the Year scored 12 points in 19 minutes during his first game with the Raptors against the Portland Trail Blazers.
"I felt great on the floor, no pain." – Kawhi
📺 | https://t.co/5XYzGUBpse https://t.co/JNm0gVg2Ko
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) October 2, 2018
Leonard and the Raptors take on the Utah Jazz Tuesday night. As will be the case throughout the season, all eyes will be on Leonard to see how he's moving on the court and meshing with his new teammates. Leonard can become an unrestricted free agent in 2019 if he declines his 2019-20 player-option. The Raptors can offer Leonard almost $50 million more than any other team in 2019, including a fifth year.
Article Continues BelowWith Leonard in the mix, the Raptors have a great chance to win the Eastern Conference this year. They had the No. 1 seed in the East last season and are now adding arguably a top-five player in the league. In 407 games with the Spurs, Leonard averaged 16.3 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists. He was the 2014 Finals MVP.
The Raptors are doing everything in their power to make Leonard comfortable in Toronto. The Raptors hired Spurs assistant video coordinator Jeremy Castleberry as a player development coach in August. Castleberry earned his degree at San Diego State University and is very close with Leonard. Castleberry played basketball with Leonard in high school and in college.
The common theory behind bringing in Castleberry is he will hopefully help Leonard get better acclimated in Toronto and may aid the swingman open up to the idea of remaining with the Raptors for the long haul.