The Toronto Raptors went through their first official practice of training camp on Tuesday morning that saw All-Star forward Kawhi Leonard take a significant step forward by partaking in the practice for the first time since eight months.

Following his first session with the team, Leonard voiced to reporters that he felt good physically, according to Eric Koreen of The Athletic.

This is an encouraging step forward for the Raptors as Leonard looks to be past the previous quadriceps injury that forced him to miss almost all of last season. The focus can now shift toward him getting back into true basketball shape ahead of the start of the preseason as that can be used to help him better prepare for the regular season. There hasn't been any chatter that he is limited physically in any manner, but the team will likely look to move precautious in the preseason to get a better gauge of how Leonard is responding physically.

When healthy, Leonard has proven to be one of the league's best two-way players that has developed into a bonafide scorer and an elite defender that is a former Two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year. The Raptors are counting on him to play a major role in their puzzle as potentially the driving force of the team next to All-Star point guard Kyle Lowry. If he can recapture his form prior to the injury, he has a chance to help Toronto be a true factor in the Eastern Conference to possibly contend for an NBA title.

Beyond that, the underlying storyline around him will be on his contract situation as he's on pace to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. This has placed a tremendous importance on the franchise to make a strong impression on Leonard in order to retain his services beyond the upcoming season.