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After a Canadian tour that included stops in Quebec City and Vancouver, the Toronto Raptors finally make their return to Scotiabank Arena to take on the New York Knicks on Tuesday.
Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. EST on Sportsnet.
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Here are three storylines to consider ahead of the contest:
He’s back
As announced by Raptors Head Coach Darko Rajakovic during practice on Monday, Kawhi Leonard will be available against the defending champions. This potentially marks the first time Leonard has played in a Raptors uniform in Toronto since the team’s Game 5 loss to the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals.
While there won’t be a Nick Nurse in sight to call a momentum-halting timeout, expect Rajakovic to restrict Leonard to first-half minutes. Despite this, Leonard is seemingly on track for the regular-season.
“He went through practice (Monday),” said Rajakovic. “He’s feeling great.”
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Last pre-season, Leonard played in three of four games for the Los Angeles Clippers, averaging roughly 21 minutes. After making his return from an ACL injury, Leonard appeared in two of four exhibition games in 2022-23. He averaged just over 16 minutes a contest.
Conditioning is key
When the Raptors wrapped up their 2025-26 season, Rajakovic noted that the team’s conditioning needed to improve. It came up again during Media Day on Sept. 28.
While the entire roster has seemingly worked on their endurance, one player who took that suggestion to heart was Jamal Shead, especially after his playoff experience. After averaging just over 21 minutes of action in his first two seasons in the league, Shead’s playing time ballooned to 32 minutes a game in the seven-game series against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
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Since then, Shead has focused on preparing his body for the demanding environment of playoff basketball.
“I think that I’m way ahead of where I was in my first two years,” said Shead during practice on Oct. 12. “I think I still can do a little bit more work…but I’m in a good spot.”
Toronto begins a stretch of three games in four nights to conclude the pre-season. To open the regular-season, the Raptors play…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/shead-conditioning-way-ahead-where-124500899.html
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Publish date : 2026-10-13 12:45:00
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