Kawhi Leonard is a freak of nature, and he showed the world another example of why in the Toronto Raptors' opening-night win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. The quiet assassin picked up the ball after a broken play, dunked with his right hand, and then palmed the ball with his left before it even hit the ground.
The explanation may sound a bit confusing, but it's something that you must see:
Leonard is aptly nicknamed “The Klaw” due to his massive hands. The superstar is a menace on both ends of the court, using his long arms and gigantic hands to harass ball-handlers, snatch rebounds from mid-air, and dunk with ease.
Everyone knew the Raptors were taking a huge risk when they traded for Leonard over the summer. But it was a calculated risk. If Leonard could come into Toronto and have a bounce-back season, there is a chance that he could decide to stay in Toronto a la Paul George in Oklahoma City.
This is exactly what the Raptors' front office is banking on. Although he looked a bit rusty in the opener, he looked much more like the old Kawhi than the watered-down version fans saw in San Antonio for brief glimpses last season.
How he plays and how successful the Raptors are as a team is one of the more intriguing storylines of this NBA season. What Leonard decides to do next summer could shift the entire power balance in the NBA.
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