TORONTO — The lights were bright, the building was figuratively/literally rocking and the excitement was palpable.
Kawhi Leonard was back at Scotiabank Arena, not as a visitor, but once again as a vestige of hope draped in Toronto Raptors red — as if he'd never left seven years ago.
Although, given the immense reaction from the near-20,000 in attendance — and exponentially more watching on their screens — when the star was re-introduced in Toronto on Wednesday night, his absence was felt.
Yet amidst all that chaos and unchecked emotions — fireworks, smoke machines and blaring from fans and sirens alike — was the Raptors starting point guard Immanuel Quickley, looking cool, calm and collected.
When he was introduced pre-game, the 27-year-old merely offered fans his signature "Call 5" celebration before jaunting through the rest of the festivities.
His composed demeanour exuded an eagerness to get past the hooplah and right into the hoops. Not as if he'd been there and done that, which, to be fair, he has since it's Year 7 in the NBA for Quickley. But, instead, to prove a point.
That when the Raptors inevitably "Call 5," he'll be ready to answer.
Because, up until this point, 2.5 seasons and a new contract later, the guard's connection has been about as consistent as Wi-Fi on Toronto subways. At its best, it's smooth, speedy and seamless. But there are too many times we're left waiting for it to connect, earning a reputation for unreliability. He's now in his third full campaign since being traded to the Raptors, the first two of which included plenty of missed calls. From being hurt for all but 33 games in 2024-25 to sitting out the entire seven-game playoff run last season with a lingering hamstring injury — "5" hasn't always been there to pick up.
But, on Wednesday, Quickley was determined to answer and did so emphatically.
As the Raptors cruised to a record-setting 135-92 win over the visiting — and clearly overmatched — Chicago Bulls, the lead guard chipped in a team-high-tying 23 points, seven assists, two steals and zero turnovers while shooting 4-of-9 from distance and 7-of-8 from the line.
A far cry not only from when fans in Toronto last saw Quickley in action — putting up four points on 2-of-6 shooting in Game 82 of the 2025-26 season — but also a long-distance away from opening night of last year, when he started 0-of-7 from beyond the arc as part of 13 points, eight assists and three turnovers.
"I thought that he did a great job of communicating with teammates, getting us organized, he was aggressive, he took shots that he was supposed to take, so I thought that he played really well," head coach Darko Rajakovic said after the win of Quickley's game-high plus-38 performance.
The Bulls' early priority on Wednesday was clear: perimeter over paint.
Living with one of the NBA's least-productive three-point shooting teams from last season firing away from deep while limiting them to just four rim attempts out of 13 paint looks in the first quarter was not a bad approach. Chicago packed the paint, glued its players to Toronto's interior threats and dared the Raptors to turn a weakness into a strength.
It set up about as perfect an opportunity as any to "Call 5," given he was the team's best perimeter producer a season ago. And Quickley not only picked up, but he stepped out of the phone booth, cape and all.
As the Bulls sagged, he swished, starting 3-of-4 from three as part of 14 first-quarter points. First, he floated out of the weak-side corner to cash a pump-and-sidestep three that broke Chicago's brief attempt at going zone, then he leaked above the break on a screen-the-screener action before settling into a 31-footer as a trail option one step above the logo.
"If I'm open, I'm shooting every single time," Quickley said. "I think my teammates and coaches expect me to take those shots as well. And just taking what the game gives me."
But if the Raptors are going to rely on their starting point guard this season, his value on the floor can't simply hinge on makes or misses, as it often has — especially with Leonard back in town and bringing with him the expectation of missing anywhere between 20-25 games.
The last time he was with the team, the Raptors managed a 17-5 record in the games Leonard missed. That was thanks, in part, to stout point-guard play of one Kyle Lowry, who scaled up whenever No. 2 was out. His 34.7 per cent shooting from deep often waxed and waned, but the "GROAT" was good for 17.5 points, 9.5 assists, 5.9 rebounds and 1.6 steals in those 22 contests.
Asking that of Quickley might be a bit much, but there's no denying he'll be relied upon similarly from the PG spot when Toronto is inevitably short-handed.
Fortunately, if one game is any indication, strides have been made.
"He's a good, fast-paced point guard," Leonard said, when asked about Quickely's ability to organize the team. "... making decisions on the fly, communicating very well defensively when we're running back in transition. Obviously, he can shoot the ball. He played great. He led us tonight."
On the Raptors' first basket of the game, it's Quickley who set the decisive back screen to free up RJ Barrett for a downhill finish. His two steals both came as an off-ball opportunist — stripping rookie fourth-overall pick Caleb Wilson on the right wing with a timely dig and later poking loose a post-entry pass to Norman Powell. And the Raptors likely don't finish plus-16 in the turnover margin if he doesn't go error-free while initiating plenty of offence.
But, speaking of another former Raptor because there already have been so many references to the 2019 title team, Quickley put in a concerted effort to make Powell's night "as tough as I could." The Bulls guard finished with 15 points on 3-of-9 shooting, doing most of his damage at the charity stripe instead.
"I think my teammates and my coaches challenged me," Quickley said of his defensive success, with a rasp in his voice, presumably from barking orders on both ends during 28 minutes of action.
Just as positive was the point guard's chemistry with Scottie Barnes, as the pair linked up to generate 16 points off passes from one another. The kind of synergy both fans and franchise hoped to see when the pair were both handed five-year deals side-by-side two summers ago. The first four of Barnes' five assists were to Quickley, starting with feeds on all three of No. 5's triples in the opening frame. The favour was later returned, with Quickley finding the Raptors two-time all-star above the break for his lone three of the game and later pushing it ahead to Barnes for an early mid-post touch that resulted in a baseline fadeaway.
All that to say, the Raptors made it a point to "Call 5" in their season opener, and Quickley made it a point to answer.
And, for one night, the connection was crystal clear.
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