Does Leonard's choice really matter to the league structure? Why?

Leonard almost single-handedly changed the pattern of the league. There is no doubt about this. The specific reasons are as follows.

He left the Raptors ruthlessly and changed the pattern of the Eastern Conference. Since Leonard switched to the Raptors, the league has gradually gotten rid of the embarrassing situation of being strong in the West and weak in the East. Under his leadership, the Raptors also changed from the predicament of being as strong as a dragon in the regular season and being a worm in the playoffs. Not only did they perform well in the regular season, ranking second in the Eastern Conference, but they also went all the way in the playoffs and reached the finals for the first time. In the match against the Warriors, Leonard led the Raptors in a bloody battle, resolving the battle within six games and helping the Raptors win their first championship in team history.

In just one year, Leonard helped the Raptors break out of the Eastern Conference and win the championship trophy. His arrival not only improved the Raptors' competitiveness, but also changed the image of the entire Eastern Conference team. I thought he could stay with the Raptors and start his journey to defend the title and dominate the Eastern Conference. However, he finally left.

His departure plunged the Eastern Conference into chaos again. The Celtics, Bucks, and 76ers seemed to have seen an opportunity and began to make repairs. They all aspired to become the new overlord of the Eastern Conference after Leonard left and break out of the Eastern Conference. Therefore, Leonard's departure is a real change in the Eastern Conference.

After leaving the East, Leonard persuaded George to accompany him to the Los Angeles Clippers. Invisibly, Leonard easily changed the fate of three teams.

After the Thunder lost George, the team fell directly from the first echelon of the championship and became an ordinary team led by Westbrook's single core. This is not over yet. After George left, the Thunder directly announced their reconstruction. They sent away the loyal Westbrook and welcomed Paul with a big contract. The Thunder of the past has completely changed.

The Rockets sent away Paul and welcomed Westbrook. Not only did the strength of the lineup not increase, but it showed a downward trend. The main reason is that the playing styles of Westbrook and Harden are somewhat conflicting, the distribution of ball rights is somewhat unreasonable, and the double MVP has formed a 1 1 < 2 situation. As the season progresses, this impact becomes more and more obvious. Overall, this deal is not beneficial to the Rockets.

Leonard and George went to the Clippers, allowing this playoff team with an already strong lineup to jump to the first echelon of the championship. The forward combination composed of Leonard and George has also become the strongest forward combination in the league today. Overnight, the Clippers completed their rise and became the new powerhouse in the Western Conference.

The Eastern Conference has just stabilized, but Leonard's departure broke this stability, and the Eastern Conference once again fell into a leaderless situation. The water in the Western Conference is already deep, and the arrival of Leonard has made the Western Conference more terrifying, and the fighting between the teams has become more intense and cruel.

So, Leonard's decision last summer really changed a lot, and he directly or indirectly affected many teams. He almost single-handedly changed the landscape of the league.