Leonard and Siakam make some beautiful music against the Jazz
By: Peter Kaye
Tags: Sports Journalists, Basketball, NBA, Sports, Toronto Raptors

The Raptors sure know how to kick off the New Year in style. On New Years Day 2018, DeMar DeRozan dropped a career high (and franchise best) 52 points on the Bucks. While on New Years Day 2019, Kawhi Leonard painted his own masterpiece as the Raptors took care of business at home (122–116) against the frisky Utah Jazz.

Let’s take a closer at this victory with our customary 4 things we liked and 1 thing we disliked.

LIKE #1 — Kawhi’s Masterpiece

We here at Life In Repeat were in the building last year when DeRozan cooked the Bucks on New Years Day so you could hardly blame us for wondering what fireworks we were going to see this year on January 1st.

Sure, Leonard didn’t score as many points as DeRozan, but he did put on, in our humble opinion, the most dominant performance I have seen since Vince Carter dropped 50 on the 76ers all the way back in the 2001 Eastern Conference Semi-Finals.

Leonard finished with 45 points on a ridiculous 16-for-22 shooting performance (72.7%). At the half, he had 15 points but it was during the third quarter where he put his stamp on the game. During the third, he scored 19 without missing a bucket (7-for-7). He ultimately dropped 30 in the second half. Yowsa!

Here for your enjoyment is a two-minute highlight clip of Leonard’s dominant performance. Enjoy!

LIKE #2 — Kawhi’s Dominance

Over the past 14 games, Leonard is averaging 30.3 points while shooting 51.0% overall and 41.1% from downtown. Also, he has scored 20 or more during those same 14 games mentioned above — a career best mark for him.

This stretch has cemented Leonard as a serious candidate for his first ever MVP award. Also, he must be mentioned as a contender for Defensive Player of the Year — the dude’s nightmare-inducing defensive effort is just a joy to behold.

LIKE #3 — Another Career Best Performance

During the season, we have often written that Pascal Siakam has future superstar written all over him. But one of our Twitter followers asked us whether it is time to remove the word “future” from our common refrain. At first glance, it may seem premature. But the further I thought about it, the notion that Siakam may already be a superstar does not seem that far-fetched.

Against the Jazz, Siakam too finished with a career-best performance: 28 points (9-for-15), 10 boards, and 3 threes. The three-point shooting has long been considered Siakam’s kryptonite, but the dude is drilling them at a 35.4% clip. Add to that his switch-ability on defense and his ability to initiate the offense, and what you have is a superstar player — future or right now.

LIKE #4 — Norman Powell’s 2019

Here’s to hoping that the Norman Powell from this game is the Norman Powell we will see going forward. In 22 minutes off the bench, Powell finished with 14 points (6-for-11) and two triples. This was by far his best offensive performance in a very long time. If he continues to play like this, we may need to retire the Norman Powell Drinking Game.

DISLIKE — Kyle Lowry’s status

Kyle Lowry has now missed eight of the the past nine games with a back injury. The reports about the status of his injury have been conflicting to say the least. Depending on who you ask, he is either due back soon or there is no timetable for his return.

For as much as Lowry gets (fairly & unfairly) criticized, he is vital if the Raptors want to be playing in June. It’s a reminder how health is such a huge factor when it comes to championship aspirations.