A major talking point to begin this NBA season has been the rash of injuries throughout the league. The 76ers are no stranger to this front, losing Ariel Hukporti for the entire year while seeing Tacko Fall and Dominick Barlow log costly absences over the first few games, which have impacted Philly's frontcourt.

However, other teams have been even less fortunate than the Sixers. A number of big names have suffered injuries at the beginning of the campaign, including Raptors star Kawhi Leonard. This week, ESPN's Shams Charania reported that Leonard is slated to miss "a period of weeks" due to swelling in his knee.

This is more than notable for Philadelphia, as these two teams face off for the first time this season on Nov. 12. Chris Haynes also relayed that Leonard is looking at "around" a three-to-four-week timetable for Leonard on Thursday.

That puts Leonard in serious jeopardy of missing this clash with the 76ers, seeing as he was sidelined on Oct. 23, so coming back for Nov. 12 would be right around the three-week mark.

It does appear like there's some wiggle room, so Nick Nurse and co. can't just plan for Leonard to be absent for that showdown. However, there are some impacts if the two-way force can't suit up.

76ers could get early edge on Raptors if Kawhi Leonard's injury makes him miss first game

First and foremost, there's the effect Leonard being out would have on the Raptors. They've come into this season with him as the new focal point, but his delayed trade and now his injury have hurt Toronto's goal of finding a rhythm as he rejoins the fold.

The Raptors clearly missed Leonard in the first game he was sidelined, as they were blown out 117-94 by the Timberwolves. While Toronto did get a 30-point win the next time out, that was against the Pablo Banchero-less Magic.

Though the 76ers' northern rivals have a nice blend of quality supporting depth and two pillars in RJ Barrett and Scottie Barnes, removing Leonard from the equation gives Philadelphia a clear edge in the win, on top of having the best guard in that matchup with Tyrese Maxey.

Even more, Jakob Poeltl is off to a terrible start to the campaign, averaging a disastrous 2.8 ppg and 4.5 rpg in four appearances. The Raptors' center depth is even worse than Philly's, with Poeltl being the only player on the main roster over 6'9" (there is seven-footer Nate Bittle, but he's on a two-way contract and hasn't played yet).

That could set Embiid up to seriously feast, and Toronto wouldn't have its generational talent with the physical tools capable of pestering the big man around to counter in case Embiid does pop off.

Then there's the long-term view to think about as well. The 3-1 Raptors and 4-1 Sixers figure to be close to each other in the standings all season long. That can become an issue if they are tied at the end of the year, as one team might end up with a playoff seed that makes their path to the title much more difficult.

But if Leonard is out, it presents a golden opportunity for Philly to take an early lead in the season series, 1-0. This gives the Sixers a chance to either take that advantage off the table if they win the next matchup on Jan. 10, or outright secure it for themselves if they win on Nov. 12 and then twice between Jan. 10, March 15, and April 6.

So besides the chance to pad its record or gain an early mental edge on a rival, this game has real stakes for the 76ers, making it more than just an early-season meeting. That also elevates the significance of Leonard potentially being a DNP in this one.