Raptors aren’t alone in waiting on Kawhi
on, I think, a lot of guys’ free agency decisions.”
That’s what’s at stake: the man that Kyle Lowry called the best two-way player in the league, that team president Masai Ujiri calls the best player in the world, the man who was the Finals MVP after averaging 28.5 points, 9.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.2 blocks in the six-game victory over the Golden State Warriors. Kawhi was the guy who hit the shot in Game 4 in Philly, and The Shot in Game 7 in Toronto, and who laid waste to Giannis Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee. The king, in the north.
But he can leave if he wants. It could happen. Lowry’s approach with Kawhi will be the same as was his approach to his good friend DeMar DeRozan: He won’t call, text, cajole, plead. Same with VanVleet. Same with all of them. Everyone follows Kawhi. They’ve been in awe of him all along.
“He has everything in his game,” said forward Pascal Siakam, who finished averaging 19.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.7 assists on .505 shooting in the Finals. “He can do everything. He can score in the post. He can shoot threes, midrange, and he can guard everybody. That’s a perfect kind of player if you want to be somebody in this league. To be able to defend, and (it’s an example) for me (to get) to that level where I can do whatever I want out there on the floor.”
Siakam mentioned one of the promos to keep Kawhi, the free meals, and added, “I even heard that he got a house or somebody gave him a house or something like that. Where’s my house at?” Siakam went to say what his pitch would be.
“The experience that we had, winning a championship. Once you win a championship, the next thing you want to do is do it again … Obviously, having him has been a great experience for me, learning from him. Definitely want him back. At the same time, me as a player, all I can do is support him in whatever he wants to do, obviously. Hopefully he can come back. I’m gonna let Kawhi do what Kawhi does.”
They won a title. This team lived up to the example and leadership of its one-year superstar: as Gasol said, they approached every tough moment brilliantly. Coach Nick Nurse said of Lowry that he has never seen a player play harder. Siakam’s ceiling is sky-high.
But now, like many teams, the Raptors are at Kawhi’s mercy. VanVleet, characteristically, summed it up.
“For us, at least speaking for myself, there’s nothing more that we can do,” said VanVleet. “We’ve done it, the city’s done it, the franchise has done it, the coaches have done it, the teammates have done it. We’ve done our job. The best way to recruit somebody is to be yourself over the course of the year, and I would assume that he knows what is here and what makes this place special.
“And if it’s enough it will be enough and if it’s not, it’s not. We all love him and we would all love for him to be back, and if he’s not we’ll move on from there. So it’s not the biggest deal in the world. He came and did what he was supposed to do. He came here and brought this city a championship, and I think he’s earned his freedom in his career to do what he wants to do, and we’ll all respect him and admire him.
“And if he’s on another team, we’ll have to kick his ass next year. But hopefully he’ll be back.”
That’s where they’re at. Everyone should enjoy the parade, and treat it — safely — like the chance of a lifetime. Because after that comes the future, and there are no guarantees.