New Leonard strong, not-so-silent type
Nick Nurse may have suspected any number of things about Kawhi Leonard before they began working together in earnest when the Raptors’ pre-season began.
Two weeks later, the head coach knows this about his star addition: Leonard is a “super-hard worker, very intelligent and a tremendous leader.”
A high work rate and basketball IQ are two things Danny Green expected from his longtime teammate, first with the San Antonio Spurs and now in Toronto, but even he is impressed by the steps Leonard has taken toward being a leader on a young Raptors squad.
Leonard didn’t share many of his opinions in Texas, Green said. North of the border, Green sees him chiming in, sharing his thoughts with teammates and leading by example, healthy enough now to be part of the action as well as the conversation.
“He’s definitely more vocal that he’s ever been, on and off the court,” Green said Monday. “Looks like he feels comfortable, feels like he feels at home.”
At 27, Leonard isn’t old by any measure but he’s a veteran with seven seasons of NBA experience to draw on.
“It’s also a comfort, maybe,” Green said. “Different system, new identity. He’s older here.
“He’s definitely more vocal than he’s ever been, on and off the court.” RAPTOR DANNY GREEN ON KAWHI LEONARD
“There’s a lot of young guys who look up to him, respect him.”
The 31-year-old Green, entering his 10th season, is also getting comfortable. He says he wasn’t totally blindsided by the trade that sent him and Leonard to Toronto for all-star DeMar DeRozan and Jakob Poeltl — but he wasn’t necessarily expecting it, either. Nearly three months later, he also feels like things are starting to click.
“I’m getting there,” Green said. “I think everybody else is getting there too, starting to feel out their rhythm, get the chemistry, finding their spots … I think guys started to feel out the offence (in Sunday’s open scrimmage) and get a rhythm, where things felt good for them. I started to feel better about, I guess, myself in the situation.”
After playing with a torn groin for much of last season, Green is focused on staying healthy — hopefully to a point where he never has to worry about that injury again.
“I feel great, actually,” he said recently. “I can’t say that I’m 100 per cent, but most days it feels like I’m 100 per cent. Sometimes it gets sore. The strength is getting there, but (I’m) taking the proper steps and the training staff has been wonderful with me. It’s feeling really good.”
Like Leonard, Green hopes to have an impact on and off the court. One of his goals is to contend for the NBA all-defensive team. He was a second-team selection two seasons ago, when Leonard made the first team for the third straight year.
As far as the bigger picture, a lot has changed in the NBA since 2009 when Green began his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers — the Raptors’ opponent on opening night a week from Wednesday.
“With LeBron leaving and going west … a lot of guys have left and gone west,” he said. “Back then, the east was stronger than what it is now. Not saying that it’s weak now, there’s just so much depth out west that it’s tough to compare. Indiana’s very good, Boston, Philly — those teams are on the (rise) and they’re doing very well and they’re tough teams. So you can’t sleep on anybody, even Washington.”
In the end, his goals are clear regardless of the opposition.
“All in all, just win,” he said, “and also find a home.”