NBA News NBA News, Match Reports and Updates 
There is only one thing that the 2026 Raptors share in common with the championship team from 2019: Kawhi Leonard.
The first to leave, yet the only one in Toronto today. A man who has never failed to reach the top of the mountain as a Raptor. Granted, he was only a Raptor for one season, but now that he is back, we can ask: do the Raptors have that same championship trajectory once again?
Advertisement
And with Leonard seemingly still in great shape, coming off one of his best regular seasons ever, are the 2026 Raptors arguably better than the 2019 champions?
Top end talent
In 2019, the team’s leader and best player was Kawhi Leonard. Barring an astonishing Scottie Barnes jump, which is totally possible, Leonard will be the team’s frontman for this upcoming season. Obviously, 2019 Kawhi is going to outclass the current 35-year-old Kawhi in almost every facet. 2019 was his prime. However, Leonard’s offence is still top-notch, and his defence is still amazing too. Even with all the injuries, Leonard’s longevity has been impressive. He is one of the higher-end players in the Association.
Kawhi Leonard’s had two main co-stars on his championship run. Kyle Lowry was an All-Star that season and meshed incredibly well with Leonard. Pascal Siakam had his breakout season in 2018-19, averaging over 16 points per game. These two players in that specific season, who are all-time Raptors legends, cannot compare to modern-day Scottie Barnes. Barnes has been getting a lot of positive attention this offseason. Many people are praising not only his regular-season performance but also his incredible playoff production in the series against the Cavaliers. Receiving comparisons to Scottie Pippen and his new teammate Kawhi Leonard, it is fair to say people have high expectations for Scottie Barnes this season.
Advertisement
Role players and depth compared
The projected lineup for the Raptors in the 2026-27 season consists of Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, and Jakob Poeltl around Leonard and Barnes.
Quickley and Barrett are the players that the Raptors got in return for OG Anunoby. Both are early into their primes and have shown promising…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/does-current-raptors-squad-stack-120000988.html
Author :
Publish date : 2026-10-03 12:00:00
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
