While Kawhi Leonard was the driving force behind the Toronto Raptors’ first-ever NBA title in 2019, there was an entire operation behind him, constantly scheming to put the superstar in a position to succeed.
Vice President of Player Health and Performance, Alex McKechnie, became a household name among casual basketball fans when he coined and implemented the term “load management”. The season-long strategy was designed to keep Leonard healthy enough for an eventual post-season run. This meant devaluing
certain stretches in the regular-season, often games falling in a back-to-back.
Despite not having their captain on the court, Toronto ultimately finished 2nd in the Eastern Conference with a 58-24 record. The Raptors’ home court was a tremendous advantage in the playoffs, particularly during the seven-game series against the Philadelphia 76ers. The 76ers finished as the third seed that year. It’s tough to envision Leonard’s bouncing game-winner anywhere but at Scotiabank Arena.
During that season, Toronto played in 12 back-to-back sets. This year, the Raptors have 15 on the schedule. The 2018-19 Raptors were an impressive 17-7 in back-to-back games. They were also 11-3 from October to December, an astonishing feat considering the roster was still trying to sort out its chemistry at the time.
By comparison, the Raptors finished 12-16 in back-to-back games last year.
When Leonard missed one of these contests, his team still produced, with Toronto accumulating a 12-3 record. Additionally, it seemingly didn’t matter which game of the back-to-back Leonard missed:
- Missed the first game: 4-1
- Missed the second game: 8-2
Leonard also sat in three entire sets of back-to-back games, with one a month from November to January.
Subsequently, Toronto often leaned on players like Norman Powell (earlier in the season) or Fred VanVleet as fill-in starters whenever Leonard sat. Factor in other options like Serge Ibaka, OG Anunoby and Jeremy Lin, and it’s easy to understand why that team was so successful without Leonard.
Does this year’s iteration of the team have the same luxury?
As it stands, it depends on what’s measured. Defensively, the Raptors are ready to support Leonard at an elite level. The combination of Jamal Shead, Ja’Kobe Walter, Collin Murray-Boyles, and Allen Graves is a relentless group. Offensively, it’s unfair to compare this year’s bench to the firepower that the championship team had. If Walter can make another significant jump in his development, that’ll certainly go a long way.
Toronto could also still make additions this off-season or make a trade-deadline move similar in value to when the team acquired Marc Gasol.
Regardless, the Raptors must improve their back-to-back record, especially in an Eastern Conference that is forecast to be a gauntlet.
