Kawhi Leonard Trusting the Process After Raptors Rout Bulls In Season Opener

The Toronto Raptors made a statement in their season opener on Wednesday night against the Chicago Bulls, coming away with a decisive 135-92 win over the Chicago Bulls in front of the Scotiabank Arena-faithful.

The Raptors clicked on all cylinders with contributions across the board from superstar Kawhi Leonard who looked as if he never left Toronto in the first place. The 35-year-old collected six rebounds and four steals through 24 minutes of play.

Regardless, Leonard emphasized his mindset of remaining consistent while not growing complacent.

"No, I don't put targets," he said in a postgame press conference. "You can't rush greatness. Whenever the medical thinks I could push forward and I'm feeling great, whatever numbers they're looking at, that's when that time will come. Just happy to be out there and try to do the best I can with my minutes."

Leonard averaged an impressive 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game last season as a Los Angeles Clipper. His first regular-season game back in a Toronto uniform showed that he might be on a similar pace this year. 

He would set the tone for a monster first quarter, making his first 3-pointer less than a minute into the matchup and giving Toronto the momentum they needed to outscore their conference rival 43-23.

Besides his efficient scoring, Leonard's physicality came in handy as he found himself at the free throw line often. There, he delivered with an 11-for-11 performance that helped the Raptors pull ahead 53-30 with 7:58 remaining in the second quarter.

Leonard refused to let off the gas when he made a clutch jumper 23 seconds into the third off an assist by Immanuel Quickley who had a solid night of his own, matching Leonard's 23 points and leading the Raptors with seven assists.

First-round pick Allen Graves gave the Raptors something to smile about as well, scoring five points off the bench and making three blocks plus one steal across 19 minutes. 

Of course, let's not forget about Scottie Barnes. The 25-year-old forward built off a dominant 18.1 point performance last year, tallying 23 points and six rebounds with four on the defensive end. Much like Leonard, Barnes was also perfect at the line, leaving Chicago's offense without an answer.

It was a promising night for Toronto and Leonard who should be in for a huge season after a not-so-new change of scenery but the team's 32% 3-point shooting is a glaring weakness they must address, especially against stiffer competition.