Kawhi Leonard asks back into blowout win for game reps after rusty Raptors debut

Explainer

Kawhi Leonard scored 23 points but shot just 5-of-17 from the field in his first regular-season game for the Toronto Raptors since 2019, a 135-92 win over the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday.

"I haven’t got a chance to play a lot in training camp, so any minutes I could get or continue to play, the goal was to try to get 23 or 24 minutes tonight," Leonard said.

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The 35-year-old forward asked head coach Darko Rajakovic to let him back into the game after being subbed out early in the fourth quarter with the Raptors leading by 41 points.

"I really love the fact there that he asked to play more minutes in the fourth quarter just to get his legs under him," Rajakovic said.

Leonard played a total of 24 minutes, adding six rebounds, four steals, two assists and one block. He was a perfect 11-for-11 from the free-throw line.

Why was Leonard's performance considered rusty?

Leonard missed 12 of his 17 shot attempts and lacked his regular burst and lift, seeming slower than normal. He was 2-of-6 from three-point range.

He played only 39 minutes over two preseason games and started doing full work in training camp later than his teammates. He did not scrimmage for the first week of camp.

The delay was due to a strange offseason where his basketball activity was limited while the Raptors and Los Angeles Clippers waited to finalize their June trade, which was paused amid an NBA investigation into salary cap circumvention.

"He’s still building his capacity to play," Rajakovic said. "Listen, I thought that the shots he was getting were really good shots."

What did Leonard say about returning to form?

Leonard said he does not have a target date for when he will return to his dominant level.

"I don’t have targets," Leonard said. "You can’t rush greatness. Whenever medical things I can push forward and I’m feeling great, whatever numbers (the medical staff is) looking at, that’s when the time will come."

He emphasized the need for game action over practice.

"I just need more reps to learn plays. You get better on the floor and trying things. You can’t wait until practice and shoot 100 shots. You need game reps, and that’s what I was looking for," Leonard said.

He added, "But I’m just happy to be out there and do the best I can with the minutes I have."

How did the rest of the Raptors perform?

The win set a franchise record for the largest winning margin in a season opener at 43 points. The Raptors led by as many as 46 points.

Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley also scored 23 points each, while RJ Barrett added 20 points. The Raptors shot 45 per cent from the floor as a team.

The Raptors held the Bulls to 31.1 per cent shooting from the field and 4-of-36 from three-point range.

"It’s crazy," Quickley said of the team's defence. "I don’t even know how to describe it defensively. Especially if they’re switching? It’s like you get down going against Scottie and you got to go against Kawhi, so like, bro, you just gotta pass it."

Rajakovic said the team's aggressive style is physically demanding and that player minutes will be managed. "I’m not against guys playing longer minutes (eventually), but that comes with time, with more experience and better conditioning," he said.

What was the reaction to Leonard's return?

Leonard received a massive roar when he was introduced, raising his right hand in his trademark 'Claw' gesture.

Commemorative T-shirts featuring an image of his hand were laid out on all 19,800 seats at Scotiabank Arena.

On Tuesday, Leonard posted a video essay on social media ahead of the game.

"I'm not here to live in the past. I'm here for what's next. Here in the North, we got a young team. Hungry and ready. And just like we had our moment, we trying to shock the world, again," he said in the video.

Leonard said the post was for fan interaction and connection. "Just a fan interaction and just connection, really," he said. "You'll probably see a little bit more of me, what I'm doing in the community and just personality …"

He also spoke about his mentor role on the young team. "Me being the oldest on the team, being 35, I have to give them that pedigree, that experience of the will to win," Leonard said.

Rajakovic described Leonard's warm-up routine as slow, deliberate and calculated, noting he took the floor more than two hours before tip-off.

Garbutt Disposal reported in October that Leonard sat out the preseason opener as he focused on reconditioning after the long summer layoff.

The Raptors' next game is on Friday against the Philadelphia 76ers.

With files from Toronto Sun, Sportsnet and Yahoo Sports