Kawhi’s Dilemma
The Toronto Raptors maximized the one-year rental. Masai Ujiri took a calculated risk, looking to capture a championship with a core that routinely disappointed around playoff time. Kawhi Leonard was looking for his exodus out of San Antonio. After a fruitful first seven years, things turned sour between the 2x defensive player of the year & one of the most respected franchises in all of the sports. Both needed each other at the moment. Both delivered. The Raptors are champions and Leonard is the immortal “King of the North,” but with Free Agency approaching the sharks are circling looking to poach a prized possession that was never truly theirs.
For the Raptors, their job was to make sure Kawhi was afforded the proper time to get back into basketball shape. After what looked to be a severe ankle injury in 2017 morphed into a debilitating quad injury in 2018, Leonard was out of basketball for 9 months. Many questions remained as to whether Leonard could get back to his All NBA caliber performance.
Kawhi had a magical run in Toronto and eventually led them to winning a championship. He has plenty of choices this summer as he decides to stay with Toronto or leave for greener pastures. Photo courtesy of news.abs-cbn.com
On Kawhi’s end of the bargain, his performance wouldn’t truly be measured until the postseason. The Raptors were a team coming off of four straight 50 plus win seasons, including 59 wins in 2017-18. Dwane Casey had the Toronto playing at an elite level on both ends. Top five rankings in both offensive and defensive efficiency had the Raptors poised for a deep playoff run in the eastern conference, especially with contemporaries compromised.
I’d be remised if I didn’t make mention of LeBron James and his deep stranglehold over the Eastern conference and Toronto in particular. Coming into 2017, LeBron had appeared in seven straight finals with two different franchises. Along the way, James’ Cleveland Cavaliers knocked Toronto out of the playoffs in two consecutive seasons rather convincingly. The 2017-18 season was supposed to be the year of the “Six” as Team ambassador & hip-hop megastar Drake affectionately calls his home team.
After All-Star Point Guard Kyrie Irving’s summer trade demand was granted and he defected to the Boston Celtics, the Raptors we’re primed to make a run. The run never came as all the goodwill established throughout a 59 win season was quickly extinguished by James and the Others. It was quite mind-boggling to watch Demar Derozen fold with each pressing minute. It had to be disheartening. Watching LeBron James dismantle the raptors with every fade-away jumper only reinforced Ujiri’s inclination for change. After a sweep at the hands of LeBron for a second consecutive season, shakeups were on the way.
Leonard is at a crossroads in his career. Should he go to the Lakers, Clippers or stay with the Raptors. Photo courtesy of Youtube.
For starters, Ujiri fired the 2017-18 Coach of the Year Dewane Casey, fresh off of a 59-win campaign. In his place, Ujiri hired top assistant Nick Nurse. The next move was the ultimate risk/reward situation. Trading Demar Derozen, a franchise pillar, and Toronto ambassador ruffled many feathers. Backcourt mate Kyle Lowry took the move the hardest because he is Demar’s best friend. They came of age together in the NBA, achieving individual and team success together, but time and time again both came up short when it mattered most. Kawhi Leonard presented an ideal opportunity to get the franchise over the top.
Toronto’s move was not without precedent. The Oklahoma City Thunder took a similar risk a year prior when former Indiana Pacer All-Star Paul George requested a trade with one year left on his contract. George let it be known, a trade to the Los Angeles Lakers was his preferred destination but OKC was in a WIN NOW SITUATION. Thunder General Manager Sam Presti had faith his organization’s culture could sway an all-star like George to stay. It also didn’t hurt to have a reigning league MVP who just so happened to average a triple-double for the first time in 42 years. This gamble paid off and George ended up shocking the NBA world, signing a 4-year 137-million-dollar extension despite the Lakers being in line to sign LeBron James plus cap space.
Kawhi has singlehandedly changed the face of the Toronto Raptors. He and entertainer Drake have given life to “The North”. Picture courtesy of TheStar.com
The Raptors face a similar dilemma from the other LA team. The Clippers have revamped their roster and cap space over the last two seasons, preparing for summer 2019. As a lead consultant for the Clippers, Jerry Westhas spearheaded one of the best free agent destinations. His history of building championships is well documented, almost as hollowed as his Hall of Fame career as a player. Whether it was as head of the scout team in the 1970s or GM of the “Showtime” Lakers of the 1980s or the Shaq and Kobe Lakers of the mid-1990s to the early 2000s West has played the role of a mastermind when building championship teams. West has a hand in building 10 championship teams over a 30-year window for the Lakers.
After reaching a peak with a Laker Franchise he was involved with for close to 40 years, his next challenge would be dragging a Memphis Grizzlies squad from the depths of ineptitude. As President of Basketball Operations for the Grizzlies, West turned Memphis into a playoff team within a year. Hiring a basketball lifer like Hubie Brown played a huge part in the rebuild. After a breakout season for all involved, the Grizzlies not only made the playoffs in 2004, but West and Brown walked away with Executive of the year and Coach of the Year respectively. Three playoff appearances later all signs pointed to a new challenge being on the horizon for West. A revolving door at the head coaching position led to inconsistencies in team play while All-Star power forward Pau Gasol wasted away in a losing situation. Just before leaving West put together a package that shipped Gasoland a future second-round pick to the Los Angeles Lakers for a Kwame Brown, Aaron McKie, Javaris Crittenton and a 2007 second round pick named Marc Gasol, Pau’s younger brother. Many considered that a gift to his former franchise, a gift that proved to be immediately fruitful with two championships and three finals appearances.
For Memphis part in the transaction, Marc Gasol became a franchise pillar for Memphis and their next generation. All things considered, West could’ve easily rested on his laurels after what he accomplished as both a player and executive, but he didn’t. His next iteration as front office executive would be one of the game-changing proportions.
In 2011 West accepted a role as a front office consultant for owners Joe Lacob and Peter Guber. West proved to be influential on personnel, most notably pushing to keep Klay Thompson instead of trading for Kevin Love. At the time, Thompson was in year two, paired with Stephen Curry, a player with boundless potential in his own right, but dealt with continuous ankle injuries. That faith paid huge dividends over time as Stephen Curry became one of the most transcendent players in NBA history. The 2x League Most Valuable Player has utilized his ability to shoot off the dribble with unlimited range. Klay is arguably the second-best shooter in the game, He’s turned into one of the best two-way players in the game due to his versatility defensively and most importantly, his playoff exploits are the stuff of legends. “Game 6 Klay” has changed the trajectory of the Warriors dynasty on multiple occasions, whether it was against OKC in 2016 or Houston in 2018. The 5X All-Star has contributed to three championships in five seasons. Former Warriors Headd Coach Mark Jackson declared both would be arguably the greatest backcourt of all-time. The past five seasons only solidified his statement.
Along the way, the Warriors picked up Kevin Durant with the help of West to seal the deal. Durant’s presence tipped the scale of competitive balance. After Kawhi and the Raptors vanquished the Warriors in six games, seemingly impeding the Dubs dynasty for the moment; here we are.
West and Clippers owner Steve Balmer has everything a Free Agent would want championship level coaching, solid role players, cap space for top tier free agents and local. Being in the second biggest market in the world, brands would expedite any star’s opportunity to be in LA. After years of being considered a bottom dweller, the Clippers recent eight-year run brought them into the relevance and even into championship contention, but now its time to be taken seriously. When you have a Jerry West in your building you will always be a force to be reckoned with.