The Toronto Raptors championship in the 2019/20 season is one for the underdogs. Going up against the Golden State Warriors, who were on their way to a three-peat, was a daunting task. Many have discredited the Raptors since Warriors lost Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant in the Finals. But how can one blame the opposing team for making the most out of such a situation?

It has been a year since they lifted the title, but Raptors guard Norman Powell is still in disbelief. “To be honest with you, it still hasn’t hit me that the championship is real,” said Powell in a conversation with TSN’s Josh Lewenberg. “Those moments come where people [say], “Hey, what up, Champ?” I still find it a little weird. It’s like, man, I’m really a champion. That’s like a lifelong childhood dream and you accomplished it. So, it’s still weird, but it feels right.”

Since he joined the Raptors in 2015, he has been a solid role player for them. After Kawhi Leonard‘s departure, OG Anunoby has been starting at SF, opening more opportunities for Powell at SG.

Toronto Raptors: Building for the future

A lot of their success is attributed to how good their development program has been. Notable recruits from Raptors 905, their G-League team, include Pascal Siakam, Chris Boucher, Fred VanVleet, and aforementioned Norman Powell. Their second-round pick from last year, Dewan Hernandez praised this program during the Summer League. “I talked to a lot of NBA guys, the young guys in the league, and some veterans, and they said the Toronto Raptors have the best player development in the league.”

In the four complete seasons they have played, they have won the title once, lost in the finals once and lost in the conference semifinals once. A lot of credit for this goes to former coach Jerry Stackhouse, who held the position from 2016 to 2018.

With the help of their development program, they have been able to build a solid team which goes much beyond their starting five. The impact of these bench players like Powell, Ibaka, and Boucher will be crucial to their playoff run when the NBA resumes.

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