Former NBA champion Raptors embarces their ‘We The Rebuilding North’ era

TORONTO — The Toronto Raptors have gone from “We The North” to “We The Rebuilding North.”

It’s been five seasons since the Raptors rode their famous “We The North” rallying cry through a thrilling playoff run and brought the NBA championship north of the border for the first time.

That spring, crowds across Canada packed outdoor viewing parties to watch a star-laden Raptors squad beat the Golden State Warriors in six games.

The current Raptors roster doesn’t have the marquee players that propelled Toronto’s title run.

Kawhi Leonard left after his lone season in Canada, but the Raptors started a solid 46-18 the following season before the COVID-19 pandemic shut things down in March 2020. Toronto couldn’t recapture its magic in the bubble that summer, losing a seven-game series to Boston in the second round.

The following year, border restrictions brought on by COVID-19 forced a relocation to Tampa for one disappointing, losing season. More stars were shed that year and in the ones to follow, with Marc Gasol, Serge Ibaka, Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet all departing or being traded.

Nick Nurse, who won it all as rookie head coach, was fired in April 2023, days after the Raptors couldn’t hold a 19-point lead in the third quarter and lost a home play-in game to Chicago.

Following last season’s trades of Pascal Siakam to Indiana and OG Anunoby to the Knicks, no significant contributors remain from Toronto’s 2019 championship team. The lone holdover is Canadian forward Chris Boucher, who played a mere four minutes that postseason.

This coming campaign, the 30th season of Raptors basketball, isn’t exactly shaping up to end in celebration.

“We’re going to play to win, but it is a rebuilding team,” Raptors president Masai Ujiri acknowledged at the start of training camp. “I think everybody sees that quite loud and clear.”

Equally clear, Ujiri said, is the intention to anchor the rebuild around 23-year-old forward Scottie Barnes. The former rookie of the year was a first time All-Star last season, his third, and set career highs in scoring, 3-point shooting, rebounding, assists and blocked shots.

Barnes signed a contract extension this summer that could reach around $270 million if he meets supermax criteria.

Ujiri said the “seriousness” and “intensity” Barnes has shown of late was proof the fourth-overall pick in the 2021 draft deserved the big money deal.

“What I’ve seen this whole summer is dedication to work, dedication to really pay attention to what he wants to get better at,” Ujiri said. “I respect that about him, and I think there’s going to be some growth with him this year.”

The Raptors have equally high hopes for the development of guard Immanuel Quickley, acquired along with Canadian forward RJ Barrett in the Anunoby trade.

Quickley admitted being initially unsure about his new situation after the trade to Toronto but said he’s now comfortable with his new team, new city and expanded role under head coach Darko Rajakovic. Like Barnes, Quickley signed an extension with the Raptors over the offseason.

“This has probably been one of the best things that’s happened to me,” Quickley said he’s come to think of the trade to Toronto. “I’m looking forward to taking full advantage of it.”

Still, center Jakob Poeltl and the rest of the Raptors know there’s no shortcut back to NBA championship contention.

“This has to be a long-term project,” Poeltl said. “Our expectation isn’t to win 65 games this year and be in the NBA Finals. I think we can have good, positive experiences just based on how we develop and how we improve over the year.”