Even if it ends up being shortlived, the Kawhi Leonard era in Toronto has gotten off to a scorching start. The Toronto Raptors improved to 2-0 off the back of an impressive team effort, spearheaded by Kawhi Leonard's 31-point, 10 rebound, double-double effort. Leonard looked confident in possession, his first step was explosive, and without reading too much into it, it might be safe to say he is fully-rehabilitated and ready to resume "MVP" conversation type-form. The Raptors faithful in attendance seemed to think so.
It was during the 3rd quarter that Toronto fans began chanting "MVP, MVP" as Kawhi Leonard stood at the line about to convert his free throws off a broken play. Throughout the game, Kyle Lowry made a concerted effort to get Kawhi the ball in his hands, a strategy that seemed to pay dividends against an opponent many pundits presumptuously pegged as Eastern Conference champs before the commencement of the season.
After the game, a suddenly-talkative Leonard was asked to remark on the "MVP" champs emanating from the crowd, which he did feel were a tad premature. "It's a little early (for those chants)," he answered reporters while elaborating that the sentiment was completely lost on him either. All in all, a 113-101 win over the Celtics is an encouraging start.