This core incarnation of the Raptors has been through the NBA wars like no other before.
The 10-week push to an NBA championship last summer hardened them, brought them closer together, created an unbreakable bond that will meld them together for the rest of their days.
That kinship, that cohesion, that shared experience is in large part why they have been so good this season despite the loss of players that might have crippled a less resilient team.
And it’s in large part why president Masai Ujiri and general manager Bobby Webster would be wise to let Thursday’s 3 p.