This season, the Toronto Raptors have taken the cautious approach towards the health of superstar forward Kawhi Leonard.
After missing 73 regular season games and the entirety of the postseason with the San Antonio Spurs in 2017-18, Kawhi has missed 19 of the Raptors' first 68 games this season – most of which have been for rest, or "load management."
MORE: Leonard's missed game log – who's stepped up in his absence?
Following Wednesday's practice, Leonard was asked about his health at this point in the season – his positive outlook suggests that Toronto's choice to err on the side of caution has reaped benefits.
The former Finals MVP told reporters that "we've been doing a great job of making sure that nothing flares up or gets out of control and it's just been great."
The All-Star continued, providing perspective on why he feels so positive despite missing nearly 20 games already this season: "I'm just happy that I'm able to play. I've said this before, I only played nine games last year, so to be able to get up to [the number] of games I've played now is amazing.
"I feel good and we have something to look forward to."
In the 49 games he has appeared in so far, the Raptors are 34-15 thanks to Leonard's career high-averages of 27.0 points and 7.3 and rebounds per game. With just 14 regular season games remaining, it should come as no surprise that Leonard and the team are looking forward to the postseason.
Kawhi is expected to be in the lineup Thursday night as the Raptors welcome LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers into Scotiabank Arena at 8 p.m. on SN1