Watch: The Raptors celebrate Game 5, and Delon gets his podium game

We’ve come a long way with Delon Wright. In his first season in the league, the young point guard showed flashes of his strange talents — slick drives, sharp awareness, and a motor that could catch you napping. His second season was largely undone by injury. But his third, well, that’s when Delon really got to take off.

And now, through five post season games, there’s a clear correlation: when Wright is playing well, the Raptors are winning. After another 18 point explosion against Washington on Wednesday night, Delon got his first taste of playoff celebrity. That’s right, Wright got his very own podium game.

Let’s go to the videotape:

The main topic of discussion, of course, was Wright’s renewed ability to let fly. He hit a deep three late in the game, and for the most part was far more trigger happy from various spots on the floor. There was also that slippery-as-hell drive and reverse lay-up he scored on John Wall to crow about (sadly, he didn’t get to it).

Honestly, Wright is too innocent for this world — which is part of what makes his devastating play so delightful. He killed the Wizards, and he still looks like an adorable little brother up there on the podium.

Now on to serious business, Dwane Casey also addressed the media after the game.

For some, the highlight of this clip will be Casey’s invocation of Barrie to describe the range from which Delon fired up his big time three. For me though, the apex of this clip is early on, when the Score’s Joe Casciaro asks about the Raptors closing lineup, which had played just five minutes together all year. It could have been a recipe for disaster, but instead with Wright, Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan, C.J. Miles, and Jonas Valanciunas on the court, the Raptors won Game 5 handily.

And as Casciaro asks his question, Casey’s quick smirk says it all. The Raptors were searching, and they found something.

Finally, look at this delightful trio.

I’d call them my large adult sons, but that feels vaguely insulting to someone as ahead of the game as Lowry (listen to him talk about his quick assessment of the box score), and as coldly competent as DeRozan (who continues to score like a machine in this series).

This is not so for JV — he’ll always be a large adult son in the best possible way. “Please, I speak four languages,” said Valanciunas to open their group’s presser, as if to prove my point.

This is the Raptors’ core, and you just have to love it.

Now, on to Game 5.