The Toronto Raptors finished the 2018-19 NBA season with an NBA-best 58-24 overall record and went on to claim their first championship in franchise history. This season, the team seems to be on pace to defend its title, but they're doing it without the services of Kawhi Leonard, who is now playing for the Clippers.

So… how are the Raptors doing it? How are they still this good without Kawhi? Even if Toronto loses to the Denver Nuggets in their final regular season game on Friday, the team will still finish with a better winning percentage than it had last season. Right now, they're 52-19, and they've lost just one game in the bubble (Celtics).

Kyle Lowry

As he has been in seasons past, Kyle Lowry continues to be the floor general for the Raptors. He's currently leading the team in assists with 7.5 per game, and he's second in points at 19.4. It's thanks in large part to his offensive production and ball distribution that the team is once again poised to make a run for the Larry O'Brien trophy.

In Toronto's first game inside the bubble — a 107-92 victory over the Lakers — Lowry scored 33 points and a career-high 14 rebounds.

“He was vintage Kyle tonight,” Raptors head coach Nick Nurse said of Lowry's performance, via ESPN.

Pascal Siakam

Siakam is a player who has stepped his game up with each passing season. Now, with Kawhi no longer on the team, the Cameroonian native is getting a lot more looks, and he's delivering.

Pascal broke onto the scene last season after averaging 16.9 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists. Those marks are up quite a bit this season, however. In his 60 games played, he's racked up averages of 22.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists. For good reason, he continues to be viewed as one of the most improved players in the league.

Last season, Kawhi led the Raptors in scoring with 26.6 points per game. In this campaign, it's Pascal Siakam.

Fred VanVleet

VanVleet is another member of the team that has taken a giant leap. Last season, the former Wichita State Shocker averaged a respectable 11.0 points. With an increased role this season, he's averaging 17.6 points, 6.6 assists, and his 1.7 steals per game are a team-high. Clearly, Toronto is leaning on his production off the bench.

In the Raptors' second game inside the bubble, VanVleet racked up a career-high 36 points as part of a 107-103 victory over the Miami Heat.

Role players

The Raptors are also getting a lot of help from role players like OG Anunoby, Serge Ibaka, Terence Davis, Norman Powell and Chris Boucher. Even Marc Gasol, who's third on the teams rebounding charts, has given the team a solid presence in the paint.

For the second straight season, Ibaka is leading the Raptors in rebounds with 8.2 per game. Anunoby is second in field goal percentage at 50.5 percent. Boucher, who scored 25 points in a recent win over the Milwaukee Bucks, is leading the team in blocks.

Norman Powell has also proven to be a key player for the Raptors, who have already clinched the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference standings. He's solid on both ends of the floor, and his stats have taken a big leap with Kawhi Leonard gone. Through 51 games this season, the former UCLA Bruin has averaged 16.0 points on 49.2 percent shooting (39.6 percent from beyond the arc), 3.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.2 steals. For some perspective, Powell averaged 8.6 points per game last season.

Nick Nurse

Our final entry goes to Nick Nurse, who continues to deliver steady leadership. Against the odds and without Kawhi Leonard, Nurse has managed to bring the best out of his players, as well as his staff members.

In a true sign of trust, Nurse actually handed the head coaching reigns to his assistant, Adrian Griffin, for Wednesday night's game against the Sixers. Using every player at his disposal, Griffin and the Raptors managed to overcome a 16-point deficit to claim a 125-121 victory. It was his first win as a head coach.

“We were really excited for him,” Powell said of Griffin, via ESPN. “We wanted to go out there and play hard and help him get his win as a head coach. I thought we did that throughout the game.”

Griffin later noted his appreciation for Nurse's gesture:

“I have to thank coach Nurse,” Griffin said. “He didn't have to do this. Honestly for one night I felt like Cinderella. I had the glass slippers on and it was great. Tomorrow it's back to reality but it was an awesome feeling.”

The door of opportunity was open for Raptors players in the wake of Kawhi Leonard's departure. Many chose to step through, confident that they could carry the torch. Now, as the postseason begins, they'll look to defend their crown — without Kawhi Leonard.