Alex Ovechkin’s 20-year journey to hockey immortality, in the words of the teammates, coaches, opponents and friends who witnessed it firsthand.

There was a time not long ago that the Toronto Raptors were the gold standard of player development in the NBA.

From 2015-17, the organization brought in and built up the likes of Delon Wright, Norman Powell, Jakob Poeltl, Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet and OG Anunoby — all players who are still in the NBA and making varying degrees of impact on their respective squads.

It became clear to many around the league that the Raptors had a knack for finding diamonds in the rough — leaning on their foundational pillars of talent scouting and player development to turn late-round prospects and undrafted flyers into rotational stalwarts. It made the Raptors’ championship run in 2019 extra fitting, since they crafted a title-clinching roster without a single lottery pick — the first team in NBA history to do so.

But it’s been over five years since Toronto’s parade and nearly a decade since the team has replicated that kind of success in the draft. The only additions of consequence for the Raptors since 2017 have been Scottie Barnes (No. 4 in 2021) and Gradey Dick (No. 13 in 2023) — I say that with all due respect to Dewan Hernandez, Jalen Harris, Malachi Flynn, David Johnson, Dalano Banton and Christian Koloko.

Yet, in the midst of a hapless 2024-25 season, the Raptors at least appear to have course-corrected on that front as the 2024 rookie class of Ja’Kobe Walter (No. 19), Jonathan Mogbo (No. 31), Jamal Shead (No. 45) and Jamison Battle (undrafted) feels like a return to form from a scouting and player development standpoint.

The quartet led the way in the Raptors’ 120-109 win over a Brooklyn Nets team tanking to the finish line on Sunday.

Mogbo finished with a game-high 17 points on eight-of-nine shooting as he notched his first NBA career double-double with 11 rebounds (and seven assists). The 23-year-old continues to look sharp since returning from a nasal fra