The Raptors' window of contention is officially open

A comical interaction unfolded after a recent Raptors practice.

Head coach Darko Rajakovic feigned ignorance when told his team's expectations had changed, and he wanted to know exactly who set the new benchmarks. A reporter then informed him that, for one, the media had.

"Oh, thank you for letting me know," Rajakovic joked in a loud, exaggerated voice, before reminding us that his standards never wavered. "Our expectations are the same. We're chasing championships since Day 1 when I stepped over here."

Whether Rajakovic admits it or not, everything changed for Toronto this summer when the team reacquired Kawhi Leonard, the two-time Finals MVP who famously led the Raptors to the 2019 championship.

Rajakovic would surely counter that his daily approach and big-picture vision won't change. Plus, with Leonard already signed to an extension that could run through 2029, the Raptors aren't under the same pressure to win as they were when they traded for him ahead of his contract year in 2018. But make no mistake, for the first time in Rajakovic's four-year tenure, Toronto is on the clock.

The good news for the Coach of the Year co-favorite is that his team should be up to the task.

We've already dug into how Leonard and the Raptors found their way back to each other and how Leonard can once again take Toronto to the promised land. In short, a 46-win team that sorely lacked Leonard's elite shot-making has plugged its biggest offensive hole. The ruthlessly efficient star should level the playing field against the type of elite teams Toronto previously struggled against. Meanwhile, what was already a top-five defense swapped Brandon Ingram for a two-time Defensive Player of the Year.

"I'm just here to fit in but (also) fit out a little bit by playing great basketball and being aggressive," Leonard told reporters after a preseason victory. One of eight players to receive MVP votes last season, Leonard can certainly hit the high notes, but the Raptors offer much more than just a veteran superstar.

Franchise cornerstone Scottie Barnes is coming off a statement postseason, dominating the heavily favored Cleveland Cavaliers on both ends of the floor and dragging the undermanned Raptors to Game 7 in that first-round series. With Leonard now in the fold, Barnes can finally assume the offensive role he's best suited for. The 25-year-old forward should thrive as a secondary scorer while still serving as a primary creator, initiator, and point forward.

Leonard's arrival should also free up Barnes on the defensive end, where he can make a strong case as the league's best and most versatile player outside of Victor Wembanyama.

Additionally, the supporting cast around Barnes and Leonard presents promising two-way potential.

Collin Murray-Boyles will be an integral piece of the puzzle on both ends if he merely matches the level of play he demonstrated during his postseason debut last spring. If the sophomore big man improves his on-ball work and 3-point shot, or shows he can finish games as a consistent small-ball center, the 21-year-old could be the third-best player on a genuine contender.

RJ Barrett's $29.6-million expiring contract makes him an obvious trade candidate, especially if the Raptors need to fill holes elsewhere. But the Canadian swingman has the chance to prove himself invaluable before then. Barrett's downhill pressure, off-ball work, and relentlessness on offense complement Leonard and Barnes, while his defensive shortcomings should be easier to mask.

Meanwhile, starting point guard Immanuel Quickley's job should be simplified with more offensive talent on the floor. The Raptors need Quickley, who quietly played solid two-way ball last season, to act as a table-setter and shooter. Rajakovic wants Toronto to increase its 3-point volume after finishing between 25th and 29th in 3-point attempt rate (3PA per FGA) in his first three seasons at the helm. Quickley is expected to be a key component of those plans, and not just by simply letting it fly as a shooter.

"The style of basketball we're trying to play is touch the paint," Quickley said about the Raptors' plan to create more 3-point looks. "A point of emphasis for myself is getting a lot of paint pressure, and then when I'm off the ball, being ready to shoot."

Some have called for the Raptors to find an upgrade over Quickley, but the bigger need may be at center, where Jakob Poeltl's health and mobility loom large.

At his best, Poeltl's screening, rebounding, playmaking, and positionally sound play make him a two-way difference-maker despite his lack of shooting range and traditional rim protection. However, back issues rendered the 7-footer nearly obsolete last season.

Whether to complete the Raptors' rotation, ease the burden on the undersized Murray-Boyles, or make his $104-million contract more movable, the Raptors need Poeltl to remain upright and in the lineup.

"Forget about people, man. Y'all already know how I feel about (Poeltl)," Barnes told reporters when discussing how critics have forgotten the big man's value. "Jak's a beast, a monster. His (floater) game is crazy. His touch is crazy. When I run in transition, I always look at him. He gets me easy assists. We love Jak. He's great for our team as an anchor and paint presence. He helps us out in so many ways, with his vision, cutting, and screening. We need Jak. We can't do it without Jak."

Leonard, Barnes, Murray-Boyles, Barrett, Quickley, and Poeltl will combine to start and/or finish games, but the Raptors need to lean on young reserves like Jamal Shead and Ja'Kobe Walter given Rajakovic's demanding style of play.

"We want to play total basketball," Rajakovic said. "We want to cover ground on defense. We want to really box out and rebound. We want to be able to run in transition, score, and crash. We're trying to cover every single second of the game, which is physically very demanding."

The Raptors owned a bottom-10 pace last season and ranked in the middle of the pack in distance traveled, but those numbers are misleading. They finished 10th in average time to shot (11.3 seconds), whipped the ball around on offense, and expended a ton of energy playing an aggressive brand of defense. Toronto also ranked top-three in both transition frequency and limiting opponents' fast breaks. That kind of dedication requires full buy-in and the ability to go full throttle.

Shead and Walter give Toronto a solid eight-man rotation, but if veteran Swiss Army knife Kyle Anderson, rookie Allen Graves, and sharpshooter Jamison Battle can lengthen the bench, it'll go a long way toward letting the Raptors play "total basketball."

Still, the Raptors could use another marksman - modern teams can never have enough shooting, after all. Whether they need another big man or playmaker will depend on Poeltl's and Quickley's play. But as presently constructed, Toronto should have enough to compete in what's suddenly a crowded field of Eastern Conference contenders. The club also has five tradable or swappable first-round picks over the next seven years, with Leonard, Barnes, Murray-Boyles, Quickley, Poeltl, Shead, Walter, and Graves all under team control for at least the next two seasons.

Of course, there's a difference between potential and reality. Toronto certainly has Finals upside, but it could just as easily find itself having to navigate the East play-in tournament in a condensed conference.

The biggest question remains Leonard's availability. The Raptors load-managed Leonard during their triumphant 2018-19 campaign, limiting him to 60 regular-season games before Leonard suited up for all 24 playoff contests. Since then, he's played only 60% of his teams' games due to various injuries (mostly knee-related), and he hasn't appeared in a conference finals game since 2019. However, Leonard cracked the 65-game threshold twice in the last three seasons after previously going seven straight years without doing so.

"I played 65 (games) last year, so hopefully this year I can play more and even build on that, adding games in the playoffs and making that a long run as well," Leonard said on media day. Raptors fans can only hope that's the case, as 65-plus games from Leonard would give Toronto arguably the East's best player.

The Raptors' rebuild has been winding and uneven since Leonard's departure, but Barnes, Rajakovic, and general manager Bobby Webster managed to steady the ship and chart a promising new course. Last season's performance showed Webster that the team was ready for a win-now blockbuster. This season is about the young core rewarding that faith and Leonard proving once more that he was the right player at the right time for Toronto to bet on.

How long the Raptors can keep this window of contention open depends on several factors, including the trajectories of Leonard, Barnes, and Murray-Boyles. But it is open, pried apart once again by the game's most unmistakable claws.

Joseph Casciaro is theScore's lead NBA reporter.