The Raptors made clear last season they should be seen as one of the NBA’s rising teams—and then they added Kawhi Leonard.
Seven years after raising the Larry O’Brien Trophy with Leonard as the roster’s centerpiece, Toronto has rebuilt a contending squad. The foundational piece is Scottie Barnes, an all-world defender who offers tremendous versatility on both sides of the court. Flanking him is a group of strong, rangy role players who can all defend multiple positions and share an ultimate goal of making life abjectly miserable for opposing offenses at every juncture. For several years that made for a good team, but not a great one.
