The shakeup of the Toronto Raptors appears to have appealed to national TV broadcasters, to the extent that the team is slated have their most nationally televised games in almost two decades.
Mainstream media loves controversy and drama, and perhaps there is none bigger than that of the arrival of Kawhi Leonard to Toronto this summer.
The unceremonious dismissal of the city's adopted son, DeMar DeRozan, was met with much criticism from both within and outside the city of Toronto. Upon his arrival, Leonard did not appear to be the most enthused of campers, which further rubbed salt in the wounds of the Raptors faithful. He has warmed up to the idea of being Canada's newest poster boy, but the damage has already been done.
Despite a baffling final season with the San Antonio Spurs, Leonard is still a two-time Defensive Player of the Year and NBA champion. So long as he is able to put his mysterious quad injury behind him, the 27-year-old should be primed for a bounce-back year.
The firing of former head coach Dwane Casey right before he was awarded as the NBA's Coach of the Year also grabbed headlines for the Raptors. Former assistant coach Nick Nurse has been appointed as Casey's successor, and his performance will be under a microscope.
According to Onchie Ebriega Aguila of Blasting News, the Raptors will have 15 of their games nationally televised in the United States this season — a feat that not even the presence of Global Ambassador Drake could accomplish in recent years. The franchise record is 17 set in 2000-01.
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