US media discusses Toronto Raptors alongside with Kawhi Leonard to LA – Raptors Rapture

TORONTO, ON- SEPTEMBER 24 - Toronto Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard (2) and Masai Ujiri because the Toronto Raptors host their media day earlier than going to Vancouver for their training camp. Media Day used to be held at the Scotiabank Area in Toronto. September 24, 2018. (Steve Russell/Toronto Indispensable particular person via Getty Pictures)

TORONTO, ON- SEPTEMBER 24 – Toronto Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard (2) and Masai Ujiri because the Toronto Raptors host their media day earlier than going to Vancouver for their training camp. Media Day used to be held at the Scotiabank Area in Toronto. September 24, 2018. (Steve Russell/Toronto Indispensable particular person via Getty Pictures)

Wonder what the U.S. Media is announcing in regards to the Toronto Raptors? We’ve compiled just a number of the absolute most life like reports from the previous week to survey how the Raptors are being talked about.

As the Toronto Raptors made their blueprint out west to Los Angeles last week, the chatter about Kawhi Leonard signing with one in every of the 2 NBA groups in La La Land used to be disappear to steal up. Rumours were swirling since last season that he would prefer to advance house to southern California as soon as he turns into a free agent this summer season.

The thinking has shifted a dinky bit though. Whereas unheard of of the talking heads had him going to the Lakers to pair up with LeBron James earlier than the season, that now sounds like choice B. The fresh thinking surmises that Leonard may perchance perchance not prefer to play sidekick to James and may perchance perchance not even desire the hype that comes with playing in a single in every of the big-title franchises within the NBA, particularly the Lakers.

As an alternative, the Clippers enjoy jumped to the stop of the list within the eyes of unheard of US media. Pundits suppose just a few components that indirectly will doubtless be too unheard of for Kawhi to refuse: cap role for, no longer one but, two enormous names, a well-coached Doc Rivers team that has some very advantageous complimentary pieces, proximity to house, and a true, prosperous proprietor.

Toronto Raptor followers certainly believe that the Raptors enjoy created the excellent scenario right here: a dominant team within the Eastern Conference that can contend for future years, a machine by which Leonard has free rein and an further $Forty + million Leonard can’t secure from signing with one other team. Fans hope that a deep playoff rush and unique bargaining rights all year-lengthy will doubtless be enough to convince Leonard to re-keep with the entirely team north of the border.

Native

The L.A. Times makes the case that the Clippers are the excellent team for Leonard. He may perchance perchance mix himself simply into a disciplined, wewell-oiledachine that will critically change rapid contenders.

Th X-aspect is most up-to-date proprietor, frail Microsoft chief, Steve Ballmer who’s appealing day-to-day. He needs to perceive, sources insist, and he’s prepared to spend to enact so.

“Our followers can and may perchance perchance anticipate more than that,” he said. “That additionally must quiet be pleasing to gamers. You advance right here, you perceive we play to perceive yearly, yearly, yearly.”

Nationwide

The Bleacher File posted a chunk this week that asserts that Kawhi Leonard Has Been All for Dwelling and L.A.

In what may perchance perchance be nasty knowledge for Raptor followers, they quote basketball insider Adrian Wojnarowski, who says that Leonard’s thinking on the subject has held and that, at this level, he’s quiet centered on Los Angeles.

“They’ll’t swap the geography. They’ll’t swap the weather in Toronto. These were constantly be things in opposition to them in this,” said Adrian Wojnarowski. “Dwelling and L.A. has been the focus for Kawhi Leonard via all of this.”

Kawhi Leonard, for the narrative, has no longer said a aspect about next year and contends that he’s centered on winning this year. So, one obtrusive establish a question to would must quiet be “where is that this coming from?” A reporter of The Woj’s ilk would no longer haphazardly establish this form of divulge available within the market with out having a devoted supply. Who that supply will doubtless be is the million buck establish a question to.

ESPN’s podcast The Lowe Put up continues with our theme of NBA free company and where Kawhi Leonard may perchance perchance quit up. Los Angeles has two groups with cap role this summer season and Zach Lowe and Adrian Wojnarowski divulge about where the big names may perchance perchance quit up this year, names that encompass no longer entirely Leonard but additionally Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, and Jimmy Butler.

The consensus amongst the 2 appears to be that the Lakers are usually not any increased than quantity three via Leonard’s picks, with the Clippers quiet being the perchance shuttle keep. They fracture down the keen recruitment that the Clippers enjoy on for Leonard, alongside with sending executives to a high quantity of Raptor video games to this level this year.

At the ten minute worth, the 2 additionally divulge about whether the Raptors alternate for Leonard used to be definitely worth the threat. They admit that

“if the Raptors assemble the Finals, it’d be charming to model a player (relating to Leonard) willingly in his prime traipse away a team that made the Finals…”

The Ringer, in The Raptors are In fact For Exact This Time, wonder if this year’s hot open from the Raptors of direction matters? Will having atop 5, elite, two-blueprint All Indispensable particular person be enough to secure the franchise over their playoff mosey?  Or will the playoffs quit within the same disappointing blueprint it has yearly?

Toronto is the NBA’s last “wait till the playoffs” team. It be no longer relevant what changes the Raptors assemble in July, or how well Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka assemble in November and December, or how fervently they themselves believe that right here’s the year, the NBA-watching world at trim mostly rolls its eyes and says, “We’ll believe it after we uncover it in Might perchance well.” It’s keen responsible all those skeptics, because after several credible iterations of The Finest Workers in Raptors Historical previous, we quiet haven’t viewed it.

Leonard’s impending free company entirely extra complicates matters. Can the Raptors support on winning, at some level of the regular season and into the playoffs? Raptor followers hope so. The U.S. media? They’re no longer sold on it, yet.

Energy Rankings

ESPN has dropped the Raptors to quantity three on their Energy Rankings this week after just a few losses all over their west skim street day out. Perchance more importantly for Raptor followers is that two of the friendly movers on their list are Eastern conference groups who enjoy caught fire as of gradual: the Celtics and the Pacers.

S.I. additionally made reference to the 2 losses this week as a reason to descend the Raptors all the style down to the amount two keep. Kyle Lowry’s fracture and absence highlights his importance to the success of this team.