The Toronto Raptors are the defending NBA champions. We all remember that, right? I feel like I had to open with that since the good majority has already forgotten about it.

Okay, the fall in the pecking order is understandable after Kawhi Leonard bolted for the LA Clippers. But, looking at the numbers this season, the Raptors are actually really, really, competitive. If you didn’t know the roster they had in the previous season, you would not have guessed that their superstar just left. Also, let’s not forget that they went 17-5 in the 22 regular season games where Kawhi was out.

Prior to the league’s COVID-19 hiatus, the Raps had the third-best record in the league at 46-18 and also the number one-ranked defense at 106.5 points allowed per game. Sadly, though, being the reigning champs and boasting set of strong follow-up numbers is not enough as they are still not considered among the true elites. It’s usually the Los Angeles Lakers, LA Clippers, and the Milwaukee Bucks – and maybe the Boston Celtics since they have a bunch aggressive homers, but I digress.

Earlier this week, Doug Smith of The Star got a hold of Raptors All-Star Pascal Siakam to get his take on the team’s host of skeptics. It was a good talk, and for a consistently soft-spoken and mild-mannered dude, Siakam surprisingly offered strong thoughts:

“To be simple and truthful, I just don’t care what people think of the Raptors … I think, for us, it’s been a lot of years caring about, ‘Oh, love me too,’ and I think that’s over, man. We are the champions and if you don’t see it, that’s your problem.

“It’s about us. We’re not worried what other people think. We’re gonna continue to win games and chase championships. That’s the only thing we care about and whoever feels the way they feel, that’s them and has nothing to do with us. We don’t care about perception.”

The 2019-20 season has been particularly good for Siakam as he was able to live up to the expectations in building off of the 2019 championship run and his breakout, Most Improved Player-winning 2018-19 campaign. His first All-Star nod last February was well-deserved too since is leading the Raptors in scoring at 23.6 PPG and also rank top three in the team’s rebounds (7.5), assists (3.6), and threes (2.2) per game ladder.

Siakam and the Raptors will have a good chance to further their record in the NBA’s upcoming return. Hopefully, the roster will remain intact and avoid the injuries that have bugged them all season.