3 Kawhi Leonard Raptors Lineups I Want to See This Season

It remains to be seen how exactly the Toronto Raptors will incorporate Kawhi Leonard into their plans for the upcoming season after the blockbuster trade from the Los Angeles Clippers that was teased all summer long was finally agreed upon.

Leonard will join the Raptors for training camp later this month, which will give Toronto a chance to lay out the foundation for the season. There is still a lot of uncertainty in regards to where Leonard will stand in lineups for the Raptors, but here are three combinations that will make Toronto an intriguing watch.

The Likely Starting Lineup

Kawhi Leonard during the fourth quarter against the Brooklyn Nets. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Kawhi Leonard, Scottie Barnes, Jakob Poeltl

The Raptors are expected to boast one of the best starting lineups in the league, with Leonard replacing Brandon Ingram, who was sent to the Clippers as part of the trade. The Raptors will have a chance to blitz teams out of the gate with Leonard and Barnes on the wing, while Quickley and Barrett are in the backcourt. Poeltl is expected to be the man in the middle, and as long as he stays healthy, he should be serviceable.

This lineup has a chance to do damage for the Raptors and be one of their better five-man lineups.

Kawhi in a Big Lineup

Kawhi Leonard celebrates the game winning shot in the second half against the Indiana Pacers. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

RJ Barrett, Kawhi Leonard, Scottie Barnes, Collin Murray-Boyles, Jakob Poeltl

The Raptors don't have a lot of big men, but they have a chance to play multiple forwards on the floor. A lineup featuring Barrett, Leonard, Barnes, Murray-Boyles and Poeltl means every player stands at least 6'6", which could make things tough on the offensive end for other teams.

Any lineup with Murray-Boyles, the team's second-year pro out of South Carolina, should be intriguing as his skillset is very complementary of Leonard and the two should be a force to be reckoned with if they can figure out chemistry with one another.

The Defensive Death Lineup

Kawhi Leonard moves to the basket against the Cleveland Cavaliers. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Jamal Shead, Ja'Kobe Walter, Kawhi Leonard, Scottie Barnes, Collin Murray-Boyles

The Raptors have a chance to put out one of the toughest defensive lineups in the entire league, with Shead, Walter, Leonard, Barnes and Murray-Boyles as the small-ball centre.

Shead, Walter and Barnes were part of the Raptors' two best defensive lineups last season, so adding Leonard, a former Defensive Player of the Year, to the mix makes things a lot stronger for Toronto.

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