Photo credit: Dan Hamilton
Toronto Raptors General Manager Bobby Webster made himself available to the media today for a preseason press conference, and when asked what Kawhi Leonard could provide to the younger players on the roster, he gave a very interesting answer.
“He has a really high level of work ethic and excellence. You can see that from afar, players can see that pre- and post-game,” Webster said. “You don’t continue to play at age 35 if you’re not doing that. Those habits are the ones we’re expecting to rub off the most.”
Now, there are a lot of younger players on the roster for Kawhi’s impact to rub off on; Collin Murray-Boyles is 21, Ja’Kobe Walter is 22, Jamal Shead is only 24, and Scottie himself is only 25 years old. Adding to that, according to Bookie, the Raptors were the ninth-youngest team in the league on average last year, with an average age of 24.71.
Interestingly, Webster hinted at the chemistry between Kawhi and Scottie, adding, “There’s a natural basketball chemistry that they’ll have.”
Kawhi, nicknamed “The Klaw,” joins a very defensively sound team that was fifth in defensive rating last year with 112.1. He will pair alongside the defensive two-headed monster of Collin Murray-Boyles and Scottie Barnes, who, according to The Athletic’sEric Koreen, allowed only 100.6 points per 100 possessions when both are on the floor on the same side.