Kawhi Leonard's left knee went from out to day-to-day on Monday, and he is projected back for Wednesday's home game against Orlando. Toronto's 117-94 loss in Minnesota showed how much the Raptors lean on him, so that upgrade is the story this morning.
The Knee, Revisited
Leonard missed the Timberwolves game. ESPN and the Toronto Star both reported knee swelling as the cause, and the Star wrote that it caught the Raptors off guard. In his two appearances he has averaged 19.5 points and 7.5 boards in 25.8 minutes. Nate Bittle, out with a right foot problem, has the same October 28 target. Even after the loss, Toronto is 2-1 and fourth in the conference, a game and a half clear of 11th.
Orlando, Twice
The Raptors host the Magic on October 28 and again on October 30, and the second game counts toward the Emirates NBA Cup. Then they go on the road: the Lakers on November 1, the Clippers on November 2 and the Nuggets on November 4. Rajakovic will have to work out how to handle a 35-year-old's sore knee across back-to-back nights in Los Angeles. Getting Leonard to that stretch healthy may matter more than having him for both Orlando games.
Barrett's Strange Line
RJ Barrett leads the team at 21.0 points a game while making 9.1 percent of his threes, a pace that can't last in either direction. Scottie Barnes is at 17.0 points and 7.7 boards, but Raptors Republic called the Minnesota game a career low for him. So far a 97.8 defensive rating has carried a 108.3 offense. The open question is whether Barnes, on the second-biggest contract at $41.8M, can run this offense on the nights Leonard sits.
Will Kawhi Leonard play against the Magic on October 28?
He was upgraded from out to day-to-day on October 26 and is projected to return October 28. Because he is day-to-day, his return is not confirmed.
Is the October 30 Raptors-Magic game an NBA Cup game?
Yes. The second of Toronto's two home games against Orlando this week counts toward the Emirates NBA Cup.
