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The team of the north, Toronto Raptors held the best record in the Eastern Conference last year. However, they failed to go past the LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round of the playoffs last season. Which led to a coaching change by general manager Masai Ujiri.
Dwane Casey, who was the coach in Toronto since 2011, had three tries to beat James' team in three consecutive seasons, yet he failed to take Toronto to the dreamland of NBA finals. Even with a team-oriented style of basketball, the Raptors were unable to beat Cleveland and were swept by them last season.
In search of a new head coach, Ujiri found a rookie coach in Nick Nurse, who was one of Casey's assistants. When Nurse was hired as the new head coach, they had pretty much the same team as last season. The core of which consisted of DeMar DeRozan, and Kyle Lowry.
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Trade for Kawhi Leonard
When the drama of San Antonio Spurs star Kawhi Leonard unfolded, Ujiri saw a chance of getting a superstar to Toronto. He made a trade for him by giving away one of the core members of the Raptors’ team in DeRozan. Defensive-minded shooting guard Danny Green was included in the trade.
By making this trade with the San Antonio Spurs, Ujiri not only brought one but two champions to Toronto. Leonard and Green won the championship with San Antonio in 2014 and certainly know what it takes to be a championship calibre team. They both bring the mentality of champions to the Raptors' locker room, along with their defensive ability on the court.
Leonard as a leader in Toronto
During the San Antonio Spurs championship run in 2014, they had veteran leaders like Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili - three all-time greats. Leonard was instrumental in their championship run in 2014. However, he was not the leader of that team.
With the Raptors this season, Leonard will have to be the best player and the leader. It remains to be seen whether he can be that type of force for them in the locker room. He will have to rally the team around him and teach them what it takes mentally and physically to be a champion.
For the past three seasons, Toronto Raptors have been mentally challenged by the presence of LeBron on the Eastern Conference. They have let James be their mental block. However, Leonard will not have to worry about removing that mental block since LeBron moved out West to the Los Angeles Lakers.
If Kawhi Leonard proves to be that leader and takes this team to the coveted NBA Finals, it will be a successful season for Toronto.
There is no doubt in considering this Toronto Raptors squad a top 2 team in the Eastern Conference.
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