TORONTO -- This was a season to remember: the best in the 21-year history of the Toronto Raptors.
It was a season that came to an end at the hands of LeBron James, an all-time great, and his Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night. But not before the resilient Raptors took James and his Cavs to Game 6, a 113-87 loss.
The Raptors came into the 2015-16 campaign with zero 50-win seasons and zero best-of-seven playoff series victories. They ended it with a franchise-record 56 wins during the regular season and their first trip to the Eastern Conference finals.
Toronto GM Masai Ujiri built a roster that embodied the city, a roster full of hardworking players who overcame adversity to become part of the core.
Kyle Lowry went from immature backup to two-time All-Star leader. DeMar DeRozan, a Raptors lifer, went from being part of all those losing teams to being part of all these winning teams. Jonas Valanciunas went from overseas question mark to interior force. DeMarre Carroll and Cory Joseph went from D-Leaguers to multimillionaires. Bismack Biyombo went from lotto bust to veteran beast.
And, of course, Dwane Casey went from the speculation of being fired daily to potentially earning a long-term contract extension to remain as head coach.
Yes, these Raptors made everyone proud, handling the swings of the playoffs like true pros.
Their fans came out to support them in full force, packing Jurassic Park on a nightly basis for games both home and away, in weather both hot and freezing cold.
Local TV ratings were shattered, too.
The Raptors overcame a lot, getting where they did despite Valanciunas being out for a long stretch in the postseason, and Lowry, DeRozan and Carroll -- well, pretty much everyone -- playing hurt at some point. It was the definition of a grind -- especially given Lowry and DeRozan's shooting struggles -- but they made it work, defying critics who said they were done on numerous occasions.
But now that they've gotten to this point, the question becomes: How do they get over the hump?
How do they avoid becoming the next Memphis or Chicago, teams that did everything right -- building through the draft and developing talent -- but couldn't get past transcendent talents such as James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant?
That, of course, is the toughest part about the NBA -- winning it all without a surefire superstar.
And so Ujiri's summer begins.
Is DeRozan headed to the Los Angeles Lakers or somewhere else on a max contract? Or will he remain in Toronto? Can the Raptors afford to keep Biyombo, who could land a deal worth five or six times more per season than his current $3 million wage? And how will the GM deal with trying to upgrade the power forward position and add more shooting?
The good news is that Toronto has the No. 9 and No. 27 picks in the upcoming NBA draft.
If Ujiri makes the right moves -- and his track record suggests he can and will -- the Raptors could be a contender for years to come.
The bar has been raised. A new standard has been set. For that, these 2015-16 Toronto Raptors should be commended.