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Philadelphia 76ers reminded once again what could have been with Kawhi Leonard

By Dan Parzych

TORONTO, ON - OCTOBER 17: Kawhi Leonard #2 of the Toronto Raptors shoots a free throw during the second half of the NBA season opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Scotiabank Arena on October 17, 2018 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - OCTOBER 17: Kawhi Leonard #2 of the Toronto Raptors shoots a free throw during the second half of the NBA season opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Scotiabank Arena on October 17, 2018 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) /
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The Philadelphia 76ers just couldn’t figure out a way to keep Kawhi Leonard in check during Tuesday’s loss to the Toronto Raptors.

After losing the way they did in the semifinals to the Boston Celtics last season, the Philadelphia 76ers were hoping to land another superstar before the 2018-19 season, whether it was LeBron James or Kawhi Leonard.

Unfortunately, the Sixers came up short in their goal to land another big-name star to play alongside Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, although there was still every reason in the world to believe they would still be a top contender in the Eastern Conference.

While James would go on to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers, Philadelphia wasn’t comfortable enough in giving up certain players to the San Antonio Spurs in exchange for Leonard, who would end up joining the Toronto Raptors.

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At first, some questioned whether Leonard would be happy on a team like the Raptors, but when seeing how great the star forward has fit in so far, this seems to have worked out quite well for both parties.

Missing out on the chance to land Leonard was a tough pill to swallow at the time for Philadelphia since he has always been viewed as a top player in the league for a reason. And to make the situation even more frustrating, the Sixers were reminded on Tuesday just how special of a player Leonard is.

Playing on the road has already been a major struggle for Philadelphia over these last couple of weeks, and their winless streak was extended in Toronto after falling to the Raptors 129-112. In what shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone, it was Leonard who led the way for the Raptors after dropping 31 points on 10-of-19 shooting to go along with seven rebounds, four assists, and four steals.

If that wasn’t impressive enough, it should also be noted that Leonard’s defense was a major factor in Simmons finishing the game with 11 turnovers, showing just how rough of a night this truly was for the Sixers in general.

One can only imagine what things would be like in Philadelphia if San Antonio was willing to give Leonard up in a trade, but also when seeing some of the reports over the players they were looking to land, this was the right choice.

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Still, just watching Leonard finish with the kind of performance he did to help the Raptors take down the Sixers is another reminder of what could have been for Brett Brown’s team if they did end up landing that superstar in the offseason. And to top it off, since Leonard is now part of the Eastern Conference, Philadelphia will have constant reminders of this moving forward.