3 Ways Raptors Can Get Kawhi Leonard More Rest in Game 5

Kawhi Leonard has been strong throughout Toronto's series against the Bucks, as their series is now tied at 2-2. However, the superstar has been overused, and fatigue could become a major factor in the near future; Leonard hurt his right leg in Game 3, and he can only stay fully formed for so long. In order to win the series and have a serious chance at a championship, the Raptors need to get him more rest. Here are three ways Toronto can rest Kawhi.

1. Give Norman Powell More Minutes

With OG Anunoby out with injury, Norman Powell has been relied on as the only bench wing. Although he struggled to start the playoffs, he has been stellar against the Bucks, averaging 14.3 points per game. He has seen his minutes increase in every game, and Coach Nurse shouldn't hesitate to trust Powell more to give Kawhi more relief.

2. Let Lowry and Gasol Run the Offense

Kawhi is relied on as the main scoring threat, but he needs to get more action off the ball. Both Kyle Lowry and Marc Gasol are high-IQ players who can make the right plays. Lowry has been dominant in this series, averaging 20.3 points and 4.5 assists per game. Meanwhile, Gasol has stepped up in the last two games, averaging 16.5 points and seven assists per game. Nurse needs to lower the ball dominance of Kawhi and run more off-ball plays for him instead.

3. Match His Minutes With Giannis

Despite an injured leg, Leonard has been matched up against Giannis Antetokounmpo the past two games, and has made life difficult for the Greek Freak. The Raptors cannot move away from this matchup, but they can take it a step further by matching their minutes. The Bucks have more depth, which allows Giannis to get more rest. For the series, Giannis is at 37.7 minutes per game, while Kawhi is at 41.6 minutes per game. Coach Nurse needs to trust his team to win non-Giannis-Kawhi minutes to get his star more rest.