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Now that Kawhi Leonard is officially a Toronto Raptor, it’s time to safely look ahead to the 2026-27 season.
While the seven-time All-Star is entering his 15th season at 35-years-old, there’s reason to believe that Leonard could produce his greatest year as a professional. Here are three predictions that suggest the best is yet to come for the superstar.
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Leonard plays 60+ games for a second straight year
These days, it’s tough for a basketball fan to scroll through media without their algorithm pushing Leonard. Notoriously known for being the NBA’s resident hermit, Leonard is suddenly the most visible and talkative he has ever been. It’s easy to guess that part of the reason for this could be PR-driven. It’s unlikely that Leonard woke up one day and decided to be a social butterfly. There’s seemingly an intentional effort to both do and be more from a brand perspective.
It’s not the boldest of predictions to assume that mindset carries over to the hardwood.
Leonard hasn’t played in 60+ games in back-to-back seasons since 2015-17. Those were his first two All-Star seasons, declaring his official arrival as a dominant presence in the league. Last season, Leonard logged 65 games, the most since he played 68 (2023-24) and the third most of his career since 2016-17.
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With the intention of repairing his image across the league and with audiences, expect Leonard to crack the 60-game mark again.
Leonard averages two steals a game
As brilliant as Leonard is defensively, he has finished a season with at least two steals a game only twice in his storied career. The last time he accomplished this feat was in 2018-19. While defence is more nuanced than raw steal numbers, the stat is often an indicator of how much ball-handlers respect a particular defender.
In his final season with the Los Angeles Clippers, Leonard finished just shy of the two-steal mark with 1.9 per game. At his advanced age, Leonard doesn’t typically prefer to guard the opposing player with the biggest threat level, at least for a majority of the game. However, this was also often the case during his short tenure with the Raptors. It…
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Publish date : 2026-09-27 16:18:00
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