NBA 2018/19: Storylines you need to follow this upcoming season

#8 Kawhi Leonard

How good will Kawhi be in a Raptors jersey?

The man does not speak much, but he still gets plenty of attention. Throughout last season with the San Antonio Spurs was more like a drama series than professional basketball. Now with the Toronto Raptors, can he revive himself again? We all know that Kawhi is a superstar-calibre player, but returning to full action after a whole season off will be a serious task in hand for the 27-year-old.

Hopefully, he can brush off the rust and form some sort of chemistry with the Raptors - or we'll see a similar type of situation once again. We can only hope that a man of his skill level can keep us fans entertained with his various abilities alone.

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#7 Will the Spurs make it?

Can Pop make it 22 in a row?

Gregg Popovich is a legendary coach, no arguments there. But having finally lost his Big 3 - Tony Parker leaving for the Charlotte Hornets, Manu Ginóbili, Kawhi being traded for Demar DeRozan, Pop has some work to do.

The Spurs have reached the Playoffs for 21 consecutive years, but can they continue this impressive achievement once more? They managed to squeeze through last season through Pop's coaching and LaMarcus Aldridge's influence - but will the story be any different this time around? With the Western Conference stronger than ever, it'll be interesting to see.