Toronto Raptors Kawhi Leonard Out Multiple Weeks with Knee Injury

With the good comes the bad with Kawhi Leonard: he is still one of the best players in the game, but he's often injured. It happened again early this season, and reports say he will miss multiple weeks with knee swelling.

Kawhi Leonard Out Multiple Weeks 

The one good thing is that the MRI did not show any structural damage to the knee, so Leonard will not need surgery. The team will ramp him up in the coming weeks, as he didn't report to Toronto late; legal issues held up his trade from the L.A. Clippers and cost them dearly.

Good Start 

Leonard’s second stint in Toronto got off to a good start, with the Raptors winning their first two games, and him averaging 19.5 ppg and 7.5 rpg. He didn't play in the last game due to a knee issue, and the Raptors stunk it up, losing 117-94 and shooting a paltry 38% from the field while allowing Minnesota to shoot 56%.

Learning to Win Without Their Star 

I wrote in an earlier article that the Raptors and their young core have to learn to win without Leonard, since he was likely to miss games. That came earlier than imagined, with the star going down after only two games.

The Raptors made the playoffs last season without Leonard, led by RJ Barrett, Scottie Barnes, and Immanuel Quickley. All three are averaging at least 17 ppg after three games, and Barrett has scored at least 20 points in all three games. Barnes has to forget the last game, when he was scoreless and missed all 12 shots. This trio needs to suck it up and learn to win without Leonard, who has played in more than 60 games in only two of the last eight seasons.

Up Next 

It's not the best time for Leonard to go out, as four of the next five games are against teams that made the playoffs last season. Tonight they host the Orlando Magic, and check out a preview of that Eastern Conference matchup.