Toronto Raptors: What Should the Raptors Expect out of Linas Kleiza?
Linas Kleiza is someone has certainly fallen under the radar, and could provide a nice surprise for Raptors fans very soon.
The Raptors inked Kleiza to a 4 year, 18.8 million dollar contract last summer. After putting on a dominant performance in Europe, Kleiza joined the Raptors with high expectations.
Fans and analysts expected Kleiza to be the number two option on the Raptors last season, behind Andrea Bargnani.
While this wasn’t the case, Kleiza did put up a decent amount of points before he was shut down for the season with a knee injury, averaging 11.2 points in 26.5 minutes in 39 games. He also averaged a solid 4.5 rebounds per game.
However, Kleiza was in pain all season last year. His knee was never healthy, and he opted for surgery when the Raptors were virtually eliminated from contention. The team diagnosed Kleiza’s condition as a ‘miniscal tear’, which kept him out for almost a year.
Kleiza is still only 27 years old, and is finally starting to get healthy. He missed the first 10 games of the season, but it appears that Kleiza is rounding into form.
So, what should Raptors fans expect from Kleiza this season? Certainly expect Kleiza to overtake James Johnson as the starting small forward. Kleiza is immensely more talented offensively, and a much more experienced, polished player.
Kleiza had his best game of the season on Sunday, recording a season high 16 points in just under 30 minutes. This was the most Kleiza has played all year, and it appears that his knee injury is behind him. Expect Kleiza to be able to consistently produce these numbers given the minutes.
Raptors fans have yet to see the best of Linas Kleiza. Kleiza will continue to improve as his conditioning gets up to full speed, and should be able to give the Raptors a much needed scoring punch. Many fans don’t realize Kleiza’s talent and will soon realize the potential of the young small forward.
Kleiza is a very talented player, and there is a reason that the Raptors organization was ecstatic after securing Kleiza. In the FIBA tournament, Kleiza was the best player not named Kevin Durant, and he put on a scoring clinic. During his stint with Olympiacos Piraeus, Kleiza was also dominant.
While playing on the international level is different than the NBA, Kleiza has proven his success in the NBA with his stint on the Denver Nuggets. Kleiza went to Europe after being overshadowed by superstar Carmelo Anthony, and has improved his overall skillset.
While Kleiza may not be the solution to the Raptors small forward woes, expect Kleiza to be a very serviceable role player for years to come.
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