PHOENIX—Through all the disappointment of the first half of the season, the Raptors always maintained that the group never fractured.
The losses mounted, the injuries disrupted everything and slumps hit at the most inopportune times — yet they stayed connected, they said.
No sniping, no finger pointing and no blame being thrust upon teammates. They believed in the group, in the talent on the roster and that better times would come.
Now that some better times are here, what they were saying then seems now to be true.
“It’s the maturation process of a team,” Fred VanVleet said after Saturday’s 123-105 victory in Portland.