A quiet Kawhi Leonard is testing the NBA’s refereeing standards

When Raptors coach Nick Nurse was fined $15,000 (U.S.) this week for claiming Kawhi Leonard received unfair treatment from referees in a loss in Denver, it was seen by many as money well spent. Publicly going to bat for one of the NBA’s best impending free agents can’t be a bad thing.

But beyond Nurse’s public lambasting of officials, sources say the Raptors also made a private case to the league office to plant a seed for future consideration. In a league infamous for star players who complain about nearly every call, the club used years of data to argue the stoic Leonard draws fewer fouls because he mostly opts for silent perseverance over petulant protest. In other words, he doesn’t…