Fred VanVleet speculates a 'Three-peat' if Toronto Raptors retained Kawhi Leonard: "Three-peat, for sure"
Kawhi Leonard spent one season with the Toronto Raptors, in which he led the organization to its only championship in franchise history. Raptors guard Fred VanVleet recently shared that he believes the organization would have continued to win had Leonard chosen to re-sign rather than bolt for the Los Angeles Clippers.
VanVleet was the latest guest to appear on How Hungry Are You?, where host Serge Ibaka, also a member of the 2018-2019 title-winning team, asked him:
"If Kawhi stayed, do we go back-to-back?"
VanVleet responded with a bold claim, stating:
"Three-peat, for sure. It was just a perfect group of individuals, and we all understood, everybody had the right mindset for the roles. I think definitely we would have won a few more."
Despite the departure of Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green, the Toronto Raptors finished the 2019-2020 season with a better record than the year prior. After going 58-24 in their title-winning year, Toronto went 53-19 after losing two starters from their team.
Watch Fred VanVleet share his thoughts on the Raptors' chances if Kawhi Leonard stayed in Toronto below:
Serge Ibaka: "If Kawhi stayed [in Toronto], do we go back-to-back?"
Fred VanVleet: "Three-peat. For sure… I think definitely we would've won a few more."
(via @sergeibaka)
https://t.co/zzPWbsDObk
Could the Toronto Raptors have won another championship if Kawhi Leonard stayed?
While the Toronto Raptors benefited greatly from injuries to Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson in the 2019 NBA Finals, they also had a very deep roster.
The Raptors were led by Kawhi Leonard, who averaged 26.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.8 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game. Furthermore, he shot 49.6% from the field, 37.1% from 3-point range, and 85.4% from the free-throw line.
During the postseason, Leonard took his game to a different level. The five-time All-Star averaged 30.5 points per game, 9.1 rebounds per game, 3.9 assists per game, 1.7 steals per game, and 0.7 blocks per game. Additionally, he shot 49.0% from the field, 37.9% from the 3-point line, and 88.4% from the free-throw line.
Leonard's departure, however, coincided with a shifting of the NBA landscape. He would team up with Paul George for the LA Clippers, while the crosstown LA Lakers paired LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Furthermore, Kevin Durant departed from the Golden State Warriors to team up with Kyrie Irving for the Brooklyn Nets, while Jimmy Butler joined the Miami Heat.
While the Raptors benefited from some luck in defeating the Warriors, there is no guarantee that would have been the case the following season. Additionally, Leonard has, arguably, been the least healthy player in the NBA since departing Toronto.
The two-time Defensive Player of the Year has played about 45% of total games in the four seasons since joining the Clippers. Furthermore, Fred VanVleet and Paskal Siakam have both developed into All-Stars since Leonard's departure.
However, it is impossible to know if they would have continued on that trajectory with the superstar taking up the majority of the touches.
Check out Kawhi Leonard's best plays from the 2018-2018 postseason: