Kawhi Leonard's winning return with Raptors shows love affair with 2019 NBA champ hasn't abated in the least

Opening minute of the first game of Kawhi Leonard’s second stint in Toronto, and Raptors’ prodigal superstar, isolated on the right wing beyond the three-point line, gathered himself to unleash a jump shot. Crowd noise inside a sold-out Scotiabank Arena rose as Leonard elevated and launched the ball toward the hoop with an effortless flick of the right wrist. When the ball dropped softly through the mesh, the audience erupted.

The first regular-season points of Leonard’s Raptors reboot gave the home team an early 5-0 lead en route to a 143-92 beatdown over the Chicago Bulls. And the win represented a promising early return on the club’s most significant transaction since 2018, when they traded for Leonard the first time. 

If you’re a sports fan in Toronto, it’s hard not to notice the buzz the Raptors generated by bringing Leonard back to the franchise in the off-season trade that sent Brandon Ingram and Gradey Dick (as well as some draft picks) to the Los Angeles Clippers. The arrival of a seven-time all-star and two-time Finals MVP is an instant roster upgrade for a team that reached the first round of last year’s playoffs before losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Last season Leonard averaged a career-best 27.1 points per game, and the prospect of adding that scoring, plus Leonard’s rock-steady defense and lead-by-example mentorship, have some of his Raptors teammates envisioning a deep postseason run next spring.

Toronto Raptors crush Chicago Bulls in season-opening win

“We have the highest level of expectation,” said Scottie Barnes, the six-year Raptors veteran and two-time all-star forward during a mid-week media briefing. “We won a championship here, and that’s our expectation every time we step on the floor.”

But