Canadian basketball legend Steve Nash believes the Toronto Raptors are primed for a deep playoff run following their acquisition of star forward Kawhi Leonard.
Nash, a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player and Hall of Famer, praised Leonard’s impact during a recent interview with The Canadian Press. “He’s a player that last year was about as healthy as he’s been for a number of years. He played at an All-NBA level,” Nash commented.
Leonard’s Versatility Elevates Raptors
Nash highlighted Leonard’s unique skill set, noting how the two-way player can adapt to various roles within Toronto’s system. “He’s incredibly efficient. He can play with the ball and be the focal point. He can play off the ball, for example, when Scottie Barnes is doing what he does.”
“He’s a two-way player. He gives them perimeter size, strength, rebounding defence, along with the scoring and that focal point gives them a closer.”
Nash, who now serves as a commentator for “NBA on Prime” — which launches in Canada on Amazon Prime this Friday — understands the significance of adding a player of Leonard’s calibre to the lineup.
Health and Chemistry Key Factors
Despite his optimism, Nash identified two critical factors for the Raptors’ success this season. “No. 1 thing is health, and the second thing is jelling, finding a style of play that suits them,” he explained.
“I do think they have great functionality here, that they can play fast as they have at times, but they can also slow it down and be successful with Kawhi out there, creating space for others or with the ball or creating space for others without the ball.”
“An exciting time for the Raptors, but lots of work to do to see this group kind of matriculate together.”
League Analysts Echo Optimism
Other NBA pundits share Nash’s positive assessment of the Raptors’ prospects. Zach Lowe, a longtime NBA reporter with The Ringer, ranked Toronto 11th in his pre-season rankings, writing that “the Raptors should be very good but a little grimy — even with Leonard’s shooting touch unclogging what had been a pretty jumbled half-court offence.”
Lowe praised Leonard’s fundamentals, describing him as “still one of the league’s marvels, with that old-school, leaning midranger, set up with a bevy of fundamentally sound shoulder shimmies and head fakes.”
ESPN placed Toronto 12th in its pre-season power rankings, giving the team a 75.6% chance of making the playoffs. Baxter Holmes, ESPN’s senior NBA writer, noted that “the Raptors had an elite defence last season — a No. 5 defensive rating of 113.0 — and that was before they acquired Leonard, one of the league’s best-ever defensive players, this off-season.”
“If everyone stays healthy, the Raptors should be able to stifle teams, and the one-two punch of Scottie Barnes and Leonard will pose a lot of problems for opposing frontcourts.”
Atlantic Division Remains Fiercely Competitive
Nash acknowledged the challenging landscape of the Atlantic Division, particularly after the New York Knicks’ championship victory in June and significant moves by the Philadelphia 76ers. “I think you’ve still got to start with the Knicks, and that they’ve just proven it. They’ve taken their team all the way through the East and West. They won the in-season tournament as well, so they’re a gritty, competitive closing team,” Nash said.
Regarding Philadelphia’s transformation, Nash observed: “Philly, obviously, is a completely new entity that could be incredibly elite, but as a floor is going to be tough.”
“The Eastern Conference in general, and the Atlantic in particular, will be very, very competitive. In our league it really comes down to playoffs. Who puts themselves in a position to be playing their best basketball, to be healthy?”
Why it Matters
Steve Nash’s endorsement carries significant weight given his status as one of Canada’s greatest basketball ambassadors and his intimate understanding of what it takes to compete at the highest level. His confidence in the Raptors’ core — Leonard, Barnes, Barrett, and the supporting cast — signals that Toronto has assembled a legitimate contender capable of challenging for an NBA championship. With Leonard’s defensive prowess and clutch scoring complementing Scottie Barnes’ versatility, the Raptors have addressed key weaknesses from previous seasons. However, the Eastern Conference’s increased competitiveness means that success will ultimately depend on maintaining player health and developing team chemistry throughout the regular season. For Canadian basketball fans, Nash’s optimism provides renewed hope that the Raptors can return to their 2019 championship form and restore pride to the franchise.
