What was Dwane Casey’s best Halloween costume ever? How many elephants did Amir Johnson ride this off-season? How many push-ups can Tyler Hansbrough do in a row? Every day until the season starts, staff writer Dave Zarum lines a Raptor up against a brick wall and asks them the tough questions.

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Terrence Ross, No. 31, Guard

Raptors’ forward Terrence Ross joins sportsnet.ca and reveals he’s afraid of heights, which is ironic for a reigning dunk contest champ

It was a hero’s shot. Down three to the Knicks in overtime with 4.1 seconds left on the clock. Terrence Ross inbounding the ball from New York’s baseline and flying off a pin-down screen from Chris Wright. Catching a pass from Julyan Stone just inside the arc with a pair of Knicks breathing down his neck. Turning and rising in one fluid motion. Firing off the game-tying three with a hand in his face, and hitting it as time expired. It was all the more heroic because he’d missed one just like it seconds before. The guts. The drama. Who cares if it was the pre-season?

Raptors fans are used to seeing Ross in the highlight reels. At times last year it felt like those peaks were the only moments the high-flying shooting guard was ever really and truly present on the court. Despite possessing the agility and athleticism to be an elite defender, Ross seemed to coast. He got caught napping and assignments blew by him. Despite bounce that could make a Super Ball blush, he only ever finished at the rim in transition or when presented with a lane you could drive a fleet of Canyoneros down. And despite flashes of potential on the perimeter, he shot just 33.2 percent from downtown.

The Raptors’ coaching staff asked Ross to work on his handle this summer, no doubt hoping to encourage him to put the ball on the floor and attack the basket with a bit more regularity. Dwane Casey has also stressed the importance of laying out the necessary effort on D. If he can show in year two that he took both suggestions to heart, he’ll go a long way towards making the jump from athlete-with-potential to starting-calibre player. Until then, though, the bulk of his contributions in Toronto will continue to go to the highlight reels.

2012–13 Stats: 6.4 Pts/G, 2.0 Reb/G, 0.7 Ast/G, 40.7 FG%, 33.2 3P%, 17.0 Min/G

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Carlos Morais, No. 6, Guard / Julyan Stone, No. 77, Guard / Chris Wright, No. 33, Forward

The three training camp invitees fighting to become the Raptors’ 15th man open up about their three-piece jazz combo

Less than a week until the start of the regular season, the Raptors are still carrying 17 guys on a roster of 15, which means only one of the trio of Carlos Morais, Julyan Stone and Chris Wright will make the team.

Morais, a 28-year-old, six-foot-four shooting guard, has suited up internationally for Angola several times, averaging 14.8 points and 2.8 rebounds in four games at the 2008 Olympics. He’s the first Angolan to sign a professional contract in the NBA, but the contract is non-guaranteed and he’s yet to see much of the floor this pre-season. He’s played only 15 minutes total, and hasn’t seen game action since Oct. 12.

Wright, a 25-year-old small forward, played in 24 games with the Warriors in 2011–12. Though the sample size is incredibly small, he had a player efficiency rating of 18.6, hitting better than 50 percent of his shots from the field. He followed that up by being named to the All-NBA D-League Third Team as a member of the Maine Red Claws, where he scored 18.3 points per game, pulled down 9.3 rebounds and showed increased comfort behind the three-point arc (though that hasn’t been the case so far this pre-season).

Stone, a 24-year-old point guard who saw limited action in Denver the last two years (and is therefore quite familiar with new Raps GM Masai Ujiri), signed with the Raptors earlier this summer but had the deal voided when he failed a physical. Still, he managed to secure a training-camp invite and has seen his minutes trend upward (from four on Oct. 9 to 25 in the double-OT win over the Knicks on Oct. 21).

With DJ Augustin and Dwight Buycks already available to fill in at the point when Kyle Lowry takes a breather, and Landry Fields and Terrence Ross around to backup DeMar DeRozan, the position of greatest need would seem to be SF—a feather in Wright’s cap. But Stone is a versatile defender at six-foot-six and Dwane Casey loves his ability to guard multiple positions. Right now the spot could be his to lose.

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Tyler Hansbrough, No. 50, Forward

Raptors push-up king Tyler Hansbrough fuels his half-court heaves with Pop Tarts

Watching at home, you may have missed it. Rudy Gay, working in isolation against Paul George on the near side, attracted most of the attention.

Catching a pass just inside the arc, Gay backed George toward the basket before making a hard move into the paint, curling around the Pacers’ small forward and drilling a tough jumper off his left foot. It was only after the shot fell that anyone fully registered the sight of Jonas Valanciunas writhing on the ground under the basket, holding his right hand in pain.

The replay clarified things. Guarded by Indiana’s Tyler Hansbrough on the weak side, Valanciunas initiated contact, battling for position as Gay rose to shoot. Taking exception to the young Lithuanian’s efforts, Hansbrough grabbed him under the armpit and, as Gay’s shot arced toward the net, hurled him to the floor—a dirty play, and one on which Valanciunas was injured.

It’s hard to imagine the player who threw the future of the franchise to the court becoming a fan favourite in Toronto. And yet, having signed Hansbrough to a two-year, $6.5-million deal, that’s exactly what the Raptors are hoping for from the hot-headed power forward.

Hansbrough is part of a low-cost, low-commitment effort by the front office to add some hard-nosed grit to the club. He plays a graceless brand of power basketball, his game low on athleticism but high on effort and brute strength. Unsurprisingly, he doesn’t exactly set off fireworks on the offensive end. He gets blocked a lot and shot just 29 percent on all attempts taken between three and 23 feet from the bucket last season. But the effort pays off on D—particularly in the post—and really seems to get under opponents’ skin.

Raptors fans tend to develop a soft spot for tough, driven backups (think Reggie Evans or JYD). Playing major minutes off the bench behind Amir Johnson, Hansbrough projects as just such a player, but whether fans can hurl the past aside and appreciate him for his present remains to be seen. Just know this: Though his game won’t often be pretty, you won’t ever miss his effort.

2012–13 Stats (w/Indiana): 7 Pts/G, 4.6 Reb/G, 0.4 Ast/G, 0.2 Blk/G, 43.2 FG%, 16.9 Min/G

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Landry Fields, No. 2, Forward

With his back to the wall, Raptors’ small forward Landry Fields talks Bieber Fever and Fun Run, which is like Mario Kart… but not.

It’s safe to say that the nerve issue in Landry Fields’ right elbow (which in turn led to problems in his hand) severely limited the swingman in the 51 games he played in his first year in Toronto. After signing a lucrative three-year contract, much was expected from the 25-year old. After all, Fields showed tremendous promise in his first two NBA seasons with the New York Knicks, particularly his debut in which he averaged nearly 10 points and more than five rebounds per game while shooting 56 percent on twos and 39 percent on threes in 81 starts. Raptors fans expected something similar, but instead watched as Fields struggled to regain his shooting form and find a consistent role in Dwane Casey’s rotation. His numbers dropped considerably—across the board—and the Landry Fields fans had watched battle the Raps as a Knick seemed a distant memory.

But it’s a new season, and with it comes a shot at redemption for Fields and a chance to show the new guy in charge, Masai Ujiri, that he deserves to stick around for the long haul. Over a handful of pre-season games, Fields has seen his role expand and looks to finally be assuming the role of off-the-bench utility man that former-GM Bryan Colangelo envisioned for him when he was inked last summer.

Conveniently, that’s exactly what his team needs. Thin at the three spot, Fields’ versatile game and ability to help facilitate the offense should provide a boost for the Raptors second unit. That’s the hope, at least: That after a year marred by injury, Landry Fields will finally make his mark on the Raptors in 2013-14.

2012-13 Stats: 4.7 Pts/G, 4.1 Reb/G, 1.2 Ast/G, 45.7 FG%, 14.3 3P%, 20.3 Min/G

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DeMar DeRozan, No. 10, Guard

Raptors’ star shooting guard DeMar DeRozan takes his place in front of the wall to rip on Amir Johnson’s wardrobe and talk about the incredibly specific amount of push-ups he can do in a row.

One of the maddening things about the Toronto Raptors in recent seasons has been their inability to avoid the “trap game.” They come off big wins (or at the very least close victories) against big teams only to drop one to a squad they should beat with their eyes closed. Even in a long 82-game season, this can’t happen. The ability of a team to go from the lottery to the playoffs is dependent on capitalizing on every opportunity, no matter how small.

Cue up some pre-season highlights of DeMar DeRozan. Bringing the ball across halfcourt against the Timberwolves on Oct. 9, Othyus Jeffers backpedalling in front of him, DeRozan runs the 28-year-old journeyman into an Amir Johnson screen, crosses him up, and then splits the flat-footed Pekovic-Love double-team for an easy layup. A couple nights later, a casual shot fake draws Knicks rookie Tim Hardaway Jr. in close enough for DeRozan to easily blow by him with a right-handed dribble on the way to the rack for an and-one dunk.

No, neither of these guys is Tony Allen. But for the Raptors to win, and DeRozan to take the next step towards outright NBA stardom, he needs to start making lesser players look bad on a regular basis, exploiting every mismatch at every opportunity—identifying weaknesses and attacking them relentlessly.

The way DeRozan plays will go a long way to determining how this Raptors team plays. Just 24, the Compton, Calif., native is already an upper-classman on this young Raptors squad—along with Amir Johnson he’s the longest-tenured player on the team.

In 2012–13, he put in his best season yet, posting career highs with 18.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game despite only a minor uptick in minutes from the year before. He also put up the highest free throw (83.1) and three-point percentages (28.3) of his career. But in that last number lies a rub. While a DeRozan personal best, it’s still low by league standards, and, in fact, was the worst mark in the NBA among shooting guards who took at least 100 three-point attempts.

In the first season of a four-year, $38-million contract, many will be waiting to see if DeRozan can keep pushing that number skyward. If he can hit even a league-average mark (roughly 36 percent last year), the results will be obvious and immediate. More respect for his perimeter shot would mean more blow-by chances and more space down low for teammates to do work. It’d probably mean more all-star votes, too, but that’s a discussion for November at the earliest.

2012–13 stats: 18.1 Pts/G, 3.9 Reb/G, 2.5 Ast/G, 44.5 FG%, 28.3 3P%, 36.7 Min/G

For a more in depth look at DeRozan, check out Dave Zarum’s piece “In His Court”

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D.J Augustin, No. 14, Guard

Raptors’ backup point man D.J. Augustin spent his summer ripping around on four-wheelers and rewatching The Wire

With miles of open bench behind Kyle Lowry heading into the off-season, it’s hard to look at this summer’s acquisition of point guard D.J. Augustin as anything other than a solid, low-risk move by the Raptors’ new brass. A former starter (and a player who put up 14.4 points and 6.1 assists a night for the Bobcats as recently as 2010–11), Augustin brings at least half of the key combination of toughness and shooting prized by coach Dwane Casey—and he does it on a one-year, $1.2-million deal.

Yes, Augustin had a rough year in Indiana last season, shooting 35 percent from the floor in 16.1 minutes a night and disappearing on defence. But prior to that season with the Pacers, the former No. 9 pick had shown encouraging signs of development in Charlotte—improving his distribution skills (from 4.7 assists per 36 minutes in 2009–10 to 7.8 in 2011–12), without sacrificing the deep-shooting threat at the core of his game.

Will he compete with Lowry for starter’s minutes? No. He may even have a fight on his hands keeping the No. 2 spot safe from Dwight Buycks. But Augustin brings some bench depth and hunger, helps stretch the floor and is most definitely in the mood for a fresh start. Here’s hoping he gets it.

2012-13 Stats (w/Indiana): 4.7 Pts/G, 2.2 Ast/G, 1.2 Reb/G, 0.4 Stl/G, 35 FG%, 35.3 3P%, 16.1 Min/G

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Austin Daye, No. 5, Forward

Raptors’ forward Austin Daye sits down with Sportsnet.ca to reminisce about his second grade Halloween costume.

When the Raptors signed free-agent forward Austin Daye in July, the move wasn’t meant to be transformative. Daye’s two-year, $2-million deal came with a team option allowing Toronto to cut him loose after the season. So, he brings length and shooting off the bench at a reasonable price with no long-term commitment. Pretty simple.

But, for Daye, this season could be a crucial one. Drafted out of Gonzaga by the Pistons with the No. 15 pick in 2009, the six-foot-11, 200-lb. forward has always been seen as a bit of a disappointment. Like many a rail-thin big man with a jumper before him, the line on Daye early in his career was that he was 20 or 30 pounds of muscle away from becoming the next Kevin Garnett. The muscle never arrived and neither did the defence (apart from solid-if-foul-prone shot-blocking) or the ability to drive the lane. Instead, Daye settled into the role of spot-shooting stretch four.

In 2011–12, it looked like even Daye’s stroke couldn’t be counted on. He hit just 21 percent from behind the arc for the season and didn’t seem long for the NBA. But the beginning of 2012–13 saw him rebound to shoot 52.5 percent on deep balls in 24 games with Detroit before heading to Memphis as part of the trade that brought Rudy Gay to Toronto. Daye finished the season with a true shooting percentage of 55.4, up 16 points from his disastrous 2011–12, and got to taste the playoffs for the first time as (a small) part of the Grizzlies’ run to the Western Conference Finals.

If the Raptors have landed the Daye who showed up to start last season, he’ll become a key contributor off the bench. If it’s the Daye of 2011–12, he won’t see much court time and will likely be looking for work at season’s end. Either way, it’s all on one man’s rail-thin shoulders.

2012-13 Stats (w/ Detroit and Memphis): 4.5 Pts/G, 2.2 Reb/G, 0.8 Ast/G, 43.3 FG%, 41.8 3P%, 12.3 Min/G

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Kyle Lowry, No. 7, Guard

Raptors’ starting point guard Kyle Lowry sings the praises of Allen Iverson, Chauncey Billups and this old dude at the playground back home who just makes shots.

This time last year, it wasn’t clear whether Kyle Lowry would be able to wrangle full-time starting duties away from fan favourite Jose Calderon.

Now? Calderon is embarking on his first full NBA season in another uniform. And in Toronto, the Raptors are going to be relying heavily on Lowry in his second year with the club.

Which is how Lowry prefers it. Never one to shy away from pressure or challenges—a trait shared by most Philly-bred guards—the six-foot-three point man will have a major impact on the Raptors’ chances of returning to the postseason.

On his third franchise in seven years, Lowry has yet to establish himself as a bona fide top-10 player at his position. But he has undoubtedly earned his place as a starter in this league and does possess qualities that separate him from most NBA point guards. Specifically, he excels at getting into the lane and using his frame to establish and hold position down low, which also helps in snagging rebounds. His 4.7 rebounds per game last season were a career high, and good for fourth on the team.

But like always, it seems, Lowry—who is in the final year of his contract—is again out to prove himself. To prove that he can be a top-10 point guard, that he deserved to get the nod over Calderon, and that he should be the Raptors starting point guard, now and in the future. To prove he doesn’t have anything to prove.

2012-13 Stats: 11.6 Pts/G, 6.4 Ast/G, 4.7 Reb/G, 1.4 Stl/G, 40.1 FG%, 36.3 3P%, 29.7 Min/G

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Steve Novak, No. 16, Forward

Newly acquired Raptors sharpshooter Steve Novak uses his time in front of the wall to lie about how many push-ups he can do in a row.

Steve Novak started his career in Houston, has played full seasons for the Clippers in La-La Land and the Knicks in the Big Apple, and this year he suits up for the first time in Toronto. But this story starts in Milwaukee. And with an anecdote about Dwyane Wade.

When Wade stepped to the free-throw line during a game against the Bucks one night in the ’09–10 season, the all-world guard heard the crowd chanting something. The chant? “No-vak’s bett-er.”

The two players aren’t linked by position, style, reputation or number of titles. They’re linked because they played together at Marquette for one year in 2002–03, a season in which they went to the Final Four. And while the chant may be a bit of a playful exaggeration in terms of all-around game, it’s certainly correct in at least one context: Novak is Wade’s easy superior when it comes to three-point shooting, and that fact is far beyond debate.

Novak is a career 43-percent three-point shooter and as recently as the 2011–12 season he led the league with a sizzling 47-percent clip from beyond the arc. And that’s precisely why GM Masai Ujiri brought him over from New York in this summer’s long-awaited Andrea Bargnani trade.

The Raptors were shaky from three-point land last season, and downright awful from the corners (they were dead last in the league from the right corner at 31.02 percent). Spotting Novak up on the arc on the team’s second unit will bump each of those numbers up. And he’s not going to move far out of his comfort zone either, putting the ball on the floor or forcing shots in traffic. For his career, he’s taken 77 percent of his shots from deep.

So, sure, Wade is very good. But in one sense very applicable to the Raptors and this coming season, Novak is better. When it comes to shooting from long range, he’s just about as good as it gets.

2012–13 stats (w/New York): 6.6 Pts/G, 1.9 Reb/G, 1.8 3P/G, 42.5 3P%, 20.3 MIN/G

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Quincy Acy, No. 4, Forward

Big-bearded Raptors forward Quincy Acy sits down with sportsnet.ca to profess his love for the never-ending comedy of Martin

There’s no way to get around the fact that Quincy Acy didn’t see too much of the floor last season. An undersized four competing for minutes in a crowded frontcourt rotation, Acy got the short end of the stick—11.8 minutes per in 29 appearances. As a result, his measurables are a bit misleading: Acy put up the Raptors’ best field-goal percentage (56 percent) and his on/off splits suggest that the team was 15.2 points better per 100 possessions with him on the floor, but his sample sizes are microscopic and he got most of his run in blowouts and garbage time.

A few numbers provide interesting hints at the Baylor product’s pro potential—he’s a solid rebounder (pulling down 8.1 boards per 36 minutes) and his 81.6-percent mark from the free-throw line is a sign of excellent shooting mechanics—but to see Acy’s real value, it’s best to turn to qualities that are a bit harder to measure.

The 37th-overall pick in the 2012 draft, Acy is, frankly, a freakish physical specimen. His wingspan measures nearly seven-foot-three (the man himself is six-foot-seven), and in layup lines he routinely displays bounce that would allow him to braid his beard into the netting in mid-air, if that weren’t such an obviously terrible idea. He also showed toughness and true grit in the paint last season, qualities Toronto coaches and executives have been talking up all summer as key to the culture they hope to instill in the organization (see: Hansbrough, Tyler).

Most importantly, though, Acy brings the hunger and adaptability of a second-rounder hoping to stick in the NBA. Trying to bring some ferocity to the team’s perimeter D, Toronto’s coaching staff played with the idea of moving him to small forward in the off-season. Though he’d never played the position before, Acy took to the challenge with alacrity.

“I just think they see my athleticism, my tools,” he said. “They see it in me and they want to see if I will commit to it and I’m up for that. I have been working real hard on my lateral movement, my conditioning.”

The Raptors don’t exactly lack for bodies at the three, either, so minutes will still be hard to come by. One thing’s certain, though—Acy’s up for the challenge.

2012–13 Stats: 4 Pts/G, 2.7 Reb/G, O.5 Blk/G, 0.4 Stl/G, 56 FG%, 11.8 MIN/G

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Rudy Gay, No. 22, Forward

With his back to the wall, sweet-shooting swingman Rudy Gay claims he shoots 42 percent on the half-court hook shot.

Rudy Gay is a franchise player—at least in the opinions of GMs Chris Wallace (who gave him a five-year, $82-million extension in 2010) and Bryan Colangelo (who sacrificed cap space and traded Ed Davis and Jose Calderon to bring him to the Raptors). But can Rudy Gay carry a team to the playoffs? That’s the question he’s out to answer in his first full campaign with the Toronto Raptors.

There are undeniable truths about the small forward: he’s an exceptional athlete and an elite scorer, advanced stats be damned. He is also at the centre of more criticism and analysis than anyone he plays with ($82 million will do that). Was the Gay trade a last-ditch panic move by a GM who could foresee his run in Toronto coming to an abrupt end? Or is the Gay we saw average 20 points and six boards as recently as two seasons ago and who established a reputation as a feared closer truly the most important piece in the Raps’ ever-evolving puzzle?

It’s hard to say. In Memphis, Gay was surrounded by more elite talent than he is in Toronto. Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol were double-team magnets, which certainly helped open up clean shot opportunities for Gay, a luxury doesn’t have with the Raptors. So, it’s easy to see why his adjustment to a new team wasn’t exactly life altering (even if Rudy couldn’t).

But take a look at the numbers and in a 33-game sample, Gay’s debut in T.O. was actually some of the best basketball he’s played in years: 19.5 ppg (on 42.5% shooting), 6.4 boards and 1.7 steals a game. You can expect the same from him statistically over a full season. Will it be enough to land the Raptors in the playoffs? The answer likely depends on who you ask.

2012-13 Stats (w/Toronto and Memphis): 18.2 Pts/G, 6.1 Reb/G, 2.7 Ast/G, 41.6 FG%, 32.3 3P%, 35.8 MIN/G

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Dwight Buycks, No. 13, Point Guard

Summer League standout and brand-new Raptor Dwight Buycks takes his place in front of the wall to talk about keeping it simple at breakfast.

First of all, it’s pronounced “Bikes.” Which opens up the very real and very awesome possibility that someone familiar with British and/or Australian slang will show up to the ACC this year with a sign reading “On your Buycks!”

Second, if all breaks right, you’ll remember the name Dwight Buycks for more than just its tricky pronunciation. As a 24-year-old rookie brought in this summer to provide scoring off the bench in the absence of guards John Lucas III and Alan Anderson, it’s unlikely Buycks becomes the point guard of the future in Toronto. Then again, his path to this point is already so unlikely. What’s one more step?

Undrafted out of Marquette in 2011, Buycks played 28 games for the Tulsa 66ers in the NBA D-League, scoring 15.1 points per on nearly 50 percent shooting. He also played 11 games in Belgium that year before signing with French Pro A team BCM Gravelines-Dunkerque in 2012–13. All he did in France was win league MVP.

Buycks then lit up Orlando Summer League in July as a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder before Toronto signed him away, and followed that feat up by leading Vegas Summer League with averages of 23 points and seven boards. When asked about his newest teammate, second-year two-guard Terrence Ross simply said, “He can do it all.”

With praise like that, it’s probably telling that new Raptors GM Masai Ujiri offered Buycks a two-year contract instead of an open-ended training-camp invite. So sure, call it a signing to fill out the roster. Just note that it doesn’t feel that way.

2012-13 stats (w/BCM Gravelines-Dunkerque): 18.0 PTS, 3.2 REB, 2.9 AST, 1.5 STL, 45.7 FG%, 38.4 3P%

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Amir Johnson, No. 15, Forward

Raptors’ starting power forward Amir Johnson sits down with sportsnet.ca to talk about interacting with tigers and Rasheed Wallace’s two-ball jumper.

If you’ve seen Amir Johnson just before tip-off, hanging fully extended from the basket with his toes grazing the court, you already know the Raptors’ starting power forward is a lot longer than his officially listed height (six-foot-nine) would lead you to believe. And if you continued to watch Johnson after the opening tip, you probably also noticed that the Raptors are a better team with him on the floor. But I bet you didn’t realize just how much better.

With Johnson on the court last season, the Raptors scored 7.5 more points per 100 possessions and allowed 6.4 fewer—a net difference of +13.9. To put that astounding contribution in context: a 14-point shift in net rating more than covers the gap between last year’s No. 1-ranked Oklahoma City Thunder (+11) and the 21st-ranked Minnesota Timberwolves (-2.8). It’s the difference between a lottery pick and a playoff berth.

Last season saw another jump in Johnson’s minutes (to 28.7 per game), and there’s no reason to think he’ll get less run in 2013–14. A 41.7 percent shooter from the top of the key last year (per NBA.com), his midrange game pairs nicely with the strong spot-up shooting and post play of Jonas Valanciunas, and the pair is dominant on the defensive end (when they shared the floor, the Raptors defensive rating was better than Indiana’s league-leading mark). Johnson’s athleticism also makes him an exciting and effective finisher off the pick-and-roll, around the basket and especially in transition, where his 1.49 points per possession ranked him fifth in the league last season (per Synergy Sports).

Sure, he needs to foul less (he led the league with 301 personals in 2012-13) and get fouled more, but at 26 years old and with eight seasons in the rearview mirror Johnson is emerging as a truly game-changing player.

2012-13 Stats: 10 Pts/G, 7.5 Reb/G, 1.5 Ast/G, 1.4 Blk/G, 55.4% FG, 28.7 MIN/G

***

Aaron Gray, No. 34, Centre

Raptors’ backup big man Aaron Gray sits down with sportsnet.ca to stake his claim as the NBA’s grill master.

Aaron Gray is a consummate professional.

What’s that you say? Elaborate? It’s pretty simple, really: The 28-year-old seven-footer does everything that’s asked of him. Sure, that usually boils down to using his 270-pound frame to fill space in spot minutes off the bench, and needless to say Gray is quite effective at that (“that” = being big). But look closer and the University of Pittsburgh product, now entering his seventh season, has actually forged a nice career as a backup and should continue to provide value off the bench in 2013-14.

Offensively, he’ll give you garbage buckets around the basket and employ a surprisingly effective short hook shot within five feet, but defensively he’s proven to be a valuable post presence. Last season opponents shot a paltry 34.2 percent in the paint when guarded by Gray. What’s more, as his teammates and the Raps’ coaching staff will tell you, his work ethic and professionalism off the court are crucial assets, setting the tone and providing an example for young bigs like Jonas Valanciunas and Quincy Acy. So, while he’s not going to blow anyone away with his numbers and you’re not exactly building a franchise around the guy, Gray is a good player to have around; a consummate professional.

2012-13 Stats: 2.8 Pts/G, 3.2 Reb/G, O.8 Ast/G, 53.3% FG, 12.2 MIN/G

***

Dwane Casey, Head Coach

Raptors’ head coach Dwane Casey sits down with sportsnet.ca to talk H-O-R-S-E, Halloween costumes and much, much more.

Entering the last season of the contract he signed just hours after winning a championship with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011, Dwane Casey’s career with the Toronto Raptors is in the crosshairs—though it remains to be seen if his new boss is willing to pull the trigger.

When he first came to town preaching toughness, accountability and the defence-oriented approach that had brought him so much success in Dallas, Casey turned the Raptors from one of the worst ball-stopping teams in the NBA into an above-average operation. Though they eventually settled just below the middle of the pack (last season the Raps were 17th in points allowed and 18th in opp. FG%), Casey continued to preach toughness and effort, trying to coax it out of a group that wasn’t always up to the task.

This past summer, he watched as Bryan Colangelo, the man who hired him, was shipped out of town, replaced by new president and general manager Masai Ujiri. And though he’s been given the opportunity to once again prove his worth to the team, the end of the road may be in sight.

But spend some time around the defensive-minded coach and you get the feeling that he couldn’t be happier (at least compared to this same point in the last two seasons). And why not? Last year, the organization handed him an elite scorer in Rudy Gay, and then this summer Ujiri supplied some of the pieces Casey had been asking for since he arrived. Want toughness? How about Tyler Hansbrough? A shooter to stretch the floor? Meet Steve Novak. Sure, they’re not Ben Wallace and Ray Allen, but those pieces will help Casey coach the team toward his vision, and help him make his case on his terms.

At the end of the day, there’s only one measure by which Casey will be evaluated: wins and losses. If only life were always that simple.

What was Dwane Casey’s best Halloween costume ever? How many elephants did Amir Johnson ride this off-season? How many push-ups can Tyler Hansbrough do in a row? Every day until the season starts, staff writer Dave Zarum lines a Raptor up against a brick wall and asks them the tough questions.

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Tyler Hansbrough, No. 50, Forward

Raptors push-up king Tyler Hansbrough fuels his half-court heaves with Pop Tarts

Watching at home, you may have missed it. Rudy Gay, working in isolation against Paul George on the near side, attracted most of the attention.

Catching a pass just inside the arc, Gay backed George toward the basket before making a hard move into the paint, curling around the Pacers’ small forward and drilling a tough jumper off his left foot. It was only after the shot fell that anyone fully registered the sight of Jonas Valanciunas writhing on the ground under the basket, holding his right hand in pain.

The replay clarified things. Guarded by Indiana’s Tyler Hansbrough on the weak side, Valanciunas initiated contact, battling for position as Gay rose to shoot. Taking exception to the young Lithuanian’s efforts, Hansbrough grabbed him under the armpit and, as Gay’s shot arced toward the net, hurled him to the floor—a dirty play, and one on which Valanciunas was injured.

It’s hard to imagine the player who threw the future of the franchise to the court becoming a fan favourite in Toronto. And yet, having signed Hansbrough to a two-year, $6.5-million deal, that’s exactly what the Raptors are hoping for from the hot-headed power forward.

Hansbrough is part of a low-cost, low-commitment effort by the front office to add some hard-nosed grit to the club. He plays a graceless brand of power basketball, his game low on athleticism but high on effort and brute strength. Unsurprisingly, he doesn’t exactly set off fireworks on the offensive end. He gets blocked a lot and shot just 29 percent on all attempts taken between three and 23 feet from the bucket last season. But the effort pays off on D—particularly in the post—and really seems to get under opponents’ skin.

Raptors fans tend to develop a soft spot for tough, driven backups (think Reggie Evans or JYD). Playing major minutes off the bench behind Amir Johnson, Hansbrough projects as just such a player, but whether fans can hurl the past aside and appreciate him for his present remains to be seen. Just know this: Though his game won’t often be pretty, you won’t ever miss his effort.

2012–13 Stats (w/Indiana): 7 Pts/G, 4.6 Reb/G, 0.4 Ast/G, 0.2 Blk/G, 43.2 FG%, 16.9 Min/G

***

Landry Fields, No. 2, Forward

With his back to the wall, Raptors’ small forward Landry Fields talks Bieber Fever and Fun Run, which is like Mario Kart… but not.

It’s safe to say that the nerve issue in Landry Fields’ right elbow (which in turn led to problems in his hand) severely limited the swingman in the 51 games he played in his first year in Toronto. After signing a lucrative three-year contract, much was expected from the 25-year old. After all, Fields showed tremendous promise in his first two NBA seasons with the New York Knicks, particularly his debut in which he averaged nearly 10 points and more than five rebounds per game while shooting 56 percent on twos and 39 percent on threes in 81 starts. Raptors fans expected something similar, but instead watched as Fields struggled to regain his shooting form and find a consistent role in Dwane Casey’s rotation. His numbers dropped considerably—across the board—and the Landry Fields fans had watched battle the Raps as a Knick seemed a distant memory.

But it’s a new season, and with it comes a shot at redemption for Fields and a chance to show the new guy in charge, Masai Ujiri, that he deserves to stick around for the long haul. Over a handful of pre-season games, Fields has seen his role expand and looks to finally be assuming the role of off-the-bench utility man that former-GM Bryan Colangelo envisioned for him when he was inked last summer.

Conveniently, that’s exactly what his team needs. Thin at the three spot, Fields’ versatile game and ability to help facilitate the offense should provide a boost for the Raptors second unit. That’s the hope, at least: That after a year marred by injury, Landry Fields will finally make his mark on the Raptors in 2013-14.

2012-13 Stats: 4.7 Pts/G, 4.1 Reb/G, 1.2 Ast/G, 45.7 FG%, 14.3 3P%, 20.3 Min/G

***

DeMar DeRozan, No. 10, Guard

Raptors’ star shooting guard DeMar DeRozan takes his place in front of the wall to rip on Amir Johnson’s wardrobe and talk about the incredibly specific amount of push-ups he can do in a row.

One of the maddening things about the Toronto Raptors in recent seasons has been their inability to avoid the “trap game.” They come off big wins (or at the very least close victories) against big teams only to drop one to a squad they should beat with their eyes closed. Even in a long 82-game season, this can’t happen. The ability of a team to go from the lottery to the playoffs is dependent on capitalizing on every opportunity, no matter how small.

Cue up some pre-season highlights of DeMar DeRozan. Bringing the ball across halfcourt against the Timberwolves on Oct. 9, Othyus Jeffers backpedalling in front of him, DeRozan runs the 28-year-old journeyman into an Amir Johnson screen, crosses him up, and then splits the flat-footed Pekovic-Love double-team for an easy layup. A couple nights later, a casual shot fake draws Knicks rookie Tim Hardaway Jr. in close enough for DeRozan to easily blow by him with a right-handed dribble on the way to the rack for an and-one dunk.

No, neither of these guys is Tony Allen. But for the Raptors to win, and DeRozan to take the next step towards outright NBA stardom, he needs to start making lesser players look bad on a regular basis, exploiting every mismatch at every opportunity—identifying weaknesses and attacking them relentlessly.

The way DeRozan plays will go a long way to determining how this Raptors team plays. Just 24, the Compton, Calif., native is already an upper-classman on this young Raptors squad—along with Amir Johnson he’s the longest-tenured player on the team.

In 2012–13, he put in his best season yet, posting career highs with 18.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game despite only a minor uptick in minutes from the year before. He also put up the highest free throw (83.1) and three-point percentages (28.3) of his career. But in that last number lies a rub. While a DeRozan personal best, it’s still low by league standards, and, in fact, was the worst mark in the NBA among shooting guards who took at least 100 three-point attempts.

In the first season of a four-year, $38-million contract, many will be waiting to see if DeRozan can keep pushing that number skyward. If he can hit even a league-average mark (roughly 36 percent last year), the results will be obvious and immediate. More respect for his perimeter shot would mean more blow-by chances and more space down low for teammates to do work. It’d probably mean more all-star votes, too, but that’s a discussion for November at the earliest.

2012–13 stats: 18.1 Pts/G, 3.9 Reb/G, 2.5 Ast/G, 44.5 FG%, 28.3 3P%, 36.7 Min/G

For a more in depth look at DeRozan, check out Dave Zarum’s piece “In His Court”

***

D.J Augustin, No. 14, Guard

Raptors’ backup point man D.J. Augustin spent his summer ripping around on four-wheelers and rewatching The Wire

With miles of open bench behind Kyle Lowry heading into the off-season, it’s hard to look at this summer’s acquisition of point guard D.J. Augustin as anything other than a solid, low-risk move by the Raptors’ new brass. A former starter (and a player who put up 14.4 points and 6.1 assists a night for the Bobcats as recently as 2010–11), Augustin brings at least half of the key combination of toughness and shooting prized by coach Dwane Casey—and he does it on a one-year, $1.2-million deal.

Yes, Augustin had a rough year in Indiana last season, shooting 35 percent from the floor in 16.1 minutes a night and disappearing on defence. But prior to that season with the Pacers, the former No. 9 pick had shown encouraging signs of development in Charlotte—improving his distribution skills (from 4.7 assists per 36 minutes in 2009–10 to 7.8 in 2011–12), without sacrificing the deep-shooting threat at the core of his game.

Will he compete with Lowry for starter’s minutes? No. He may even have a fight on his hands keeping the No. 2 spot safe from Dwight Buycks. But Augustin brings some bench depth and hunger, helps stretch the floor and is most definitely in the mood for a fresh start. Here’s hoping he gets it.

2012-13 Stats (w/Indiana): 4.7 Pts/G, 2.2 Ast/G, 1.2 Reb/G, 0.4 Stl/G, 35 FG%, 35.3 3P%, 16.1 Min/G

***

Austin Daye, No. 5, Forward

Raptors’ forward Austin Daye sits down with Sportsnet.ca to reminisce about his second grade Halloween costume.

When the Raptors signed free-agent forward Austin Daye in July, the move wasn’t meant to be transformative. Daye’s two-year, $2-million deal came with a team option allowing Toronto to cut him loose after the season. So, he brings length and shooting off the bench at a reasonable price with no long-term commitment. Pretty simple.

But, for Daye, this season could be a crucial one. Drafted out of Gonzaga by the Pistons with the No. 15 pick in 2009, the six-foot-11, 200-lb. forward has always been seen as a bit of a disappointment. Like many a rail-thin big man with a jumper before him, the line on Daye early in his career was that he was 20 or 30 pounds of muscle away from becoming the next Kevin Garnett. The muscle never arrived and neither did the defence (apart from solid-if-foul-prone shot-blocking) or the ability to drive the lane. Instead, Daye settled into the role of spot-shooting stretch four.

In 2011–12, it looked like even Daye’s stroke couldn’t be counted on. He hit just 21 percent from behind the arc for the season and didn’t seem long for the NBA. But the beginning of 2012–13 saw him rebound to shoot 52.5 percent on deep balls in 24 games with Detroit before heading to Memphis as part of the trade that brought Rudy Gay to Toronto. Daye finished the season with a true shooting percentage of 55.4, up 16 points from his disastrous 2011–12, and got to taste the playoffs for the first time as (a small) part of the Grizzlies’ run to the Western Conference Finals.

If the Raptors have landed the Daye who showed up to start last season, he’ll become a key contributor off the bench. If it’s the Daye of 2011–12, he won’t see much court time and will likely be looking for work at season’s end. Either way, it’s all on one man’s rail-thin shoulders.

2012-13 Stats (w/ Detroit and Memphis): 4.5 Pts/G, 2.2 Reb/G, 0.8 Ast/G, 43.3 FG%, 41.8 3P%, 12.3 Min/G

***

Kyle Lowry, No. 7, Guard

Raptors’ starting point guard Kyle Lowry sings the praises of Allen Iverson, Chauncey Billups and this old dude at the playground back home who just makes shots.

This time last year, it wasn’t clear whether Kyle Lowry would be able to wrangle full-time starting duties away from fan favourite Jose Calderon.

Now? Calderon is embarking on his first full NBA season in another uniform. And in Toronto, the Raptors are going to be relying heavily on Lowry in his second year with the club.

Which is how Lowry prefers it. Never one to shy away from pressure or challenges—a trait shared by most Philly-bred guards—the six-foot-three point man will have a major impact on the Raptors’ chances of returning to the postseason.

On his third franchise in seven years, Lowry has yet to establish himself as a bona fide top-10 player at his position. But he has undoubtedly earned his place as a starter in this league and does possess qualities that separate him from most NBA point guards. Specifically, he excels at getting into the lane and using his frame to establish and hold position down low, which also helps in snagging rebounds. His 4.7 rebounds per game last season were a career high, and good for fourth on the team.

But like always, it seems, Lowry—who is in the final year of his contract—is again out to prove himself. To prove that he can be a top-10 point guard, that he deserved to get the nod over Calderon, and that he should be the Raptors starting point guard, now and in the future. To prove he doesn’t have anything to prove.

2012-13 Stats: 11.6 Pts/G, 6.4 Ast/G, 4.7 Reb/G, 1.4 Stl/G, 40.1 FG%, 36.3 3P%, 29.7 Min/G

***

Steve Novak, No. 16, Forward

Newly acquired Raptors sharpshooter Steve Novak uses his time in front of the wall to lie about how many push-ups he can do in a row.

Steve Novak started his career in Houston, has played full seasons for the Clippers in La-La Land and the Knicks in the Big Apple, and this year he suits up for the first time in Toronto. But this story starts in Milwaukee. And with an anecdote about Dwyane Wade.

When Wade stepped to the free-throw line during a game against the Bucks one night in the ’09–10 season, the all-world guard heard the crowd chanting something. The chant? “No-vak’s bett-er.”

The two players aren’t linked by position, style, reputation or number of titles. They’re linked because they played together at Marquette for one year in 2002–03, a season in which they went to the Final Four. And while the chant may be a bit of a playful exaggeration in terms of all-around game, it’s certainly correct in at least one context: Novak is Wade’s easy superior when it comes to three-point shooting, and that fact is far beyond debate.

Novak is a career 43-percent three-point shooter and as recently as the 2011–12 season he led the league with a sizzling 47-percent clip from beyond the arc. And that’s precisely why GM Masai Ujiri brought him over from New York in this summer’s long-awaited Andrea Bargnani trade.

The Raptors were shaky from three-point land last season, and downright awful from the corners (they were dead last in the league from the right corner at 31.02 percent). Spotting Novak up on the arc on the team’s second unit will bump each of those numbers up. And he’s not going to move far out of his comfort zone either, putting the ball on the floor or forcing shots in traffic. For his career, he’s taken 77 percent of his shots from deep.

So, sure, Wade is very good. But in one sense very applicable to the Raptors and this coming season, Novak is better. When it comes to shooting from long range, he’s just about as good as it gets.

2012–13 stats (w/New York): 6.6 Pts/G, 1.9 Reb/G, 1.8 3P/G, 42.5 3P%, 20.3 MIN/G

***

Quincy Acy, No. 4, Forward

Big-bearded Raptors forward Quincy Acy sits down with sportsnet.ca to profess his love for the never-ending comedy of Martin

There’s no way to get around the fact that Quincy Acy didn’t see too much of the floor last season. An undersized four competing for minutes in a crowded frontcourt rotation, Acy got the short end of the stick—11.8 minutes per in 29 appearances. As a result, his measurables are a bit misleading: Acy put up the Raptors’ best field-goal percentage (56 percent) and his on/off splits suggest that the team was 15.2 points better per 100 possessions with him on the floor, but his sample sizes are microscopic and he got most of his run in blowouts and garbage time.

A few numbers provide interesting hints at the Baylor product’s pro potential—he’s a solid rebounder (pulling down 8.1 boards per 36 minutes) and his 81.6-percent mark from the free-throw line is a sign of excellent shooting mechanics—but to see Acy’s real value, it’s best to turn to qualities that are a bit harder to measure.

The 37th-overall pick in the 2012 draft, Acy is, frankly, a freakish physical specimen. His wingspan measures nearly seven-foot-three (the man himself is six-foot-seven), and in layup lines he routinely displays bounce that would allow him to braid his beard into the netting in mid-air, if that weren’t such an obviously terrible idea. He also showed toughness and true grit in the paint last season, qualities Toronto coaches and executives have been talking up all summer as key to the culture they hope to instill in the organization (see: Hansbrough, Tyler).

Most importantly, though, Acy brings the hunger and adaptability of a second-rounder hoping to stick in the NBA. Trying to bring some ferocity to the team’s perimeter D, Toronto’s coaching staff played with the idea of moving him to small forward in the off-season. Though he’d never played the position before, Acy took to the challenge with alacrity.

“I just think they see my athleticism, my tools,” he said. “They see it in me and they want to see if I will commit to it and I’m up for that. I have been working real hard on my lateral movement, my conditioning.”

The Raptors don’t exactly lack for bodies at the three, either, so minutes will still be hard to come by. One thing’s certain, though—Acy’s up for the challenge.

2012–13 Stats: 4 Pts/G, 2.7 Reb/G, O.5 Blk/G, 0.4 Stl/G, 56 FG%, 11.8 MIN/G

***

Rudy Gay, No. 22, Forward

With his back to the wall, sweet-shooting swingman Rudy Gay claims he shoots 42 percent on the half-court hook shot.

Rudy Gay is a franchise player—at least in the opinions of GMs Chris Wallace (who gave him a five-year, $82-million extension in 2010) and Bryan Colangelo (who sacrificed cap space and traded Ed Davis and Jose Calderon to bring him to the Raptors). But can Rudy Gay carry a team to the playoffs? That’s the question he’s out to answer in his first full campaign with the Toronto Raptors.

There are undeniable truths about the small forward: he’s an exceptional athlete and an elite scorer, advanced stats be damned. He is also at the centre of more criticism and analysis than anyone he plays with ($82 million will do that). Was the Gay trade a last-ditch panic move by a GM who could foresee his run in Toronto coming to an abrupt end? Or is the Gay we saw average 20 points and six boards as recently as two seasons ago and who established a reputation as a feared closer truly the most important piece in the Raps’ ever-evolving puzzle?

It’s hard to say. In Memphis, Gay was surrounded by more elite talent than he is in Toronto. Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol were double-team magnets, which certainly helped open up clean shot opportunities for Gay, a luxury doesn’t have with the Raptors. So, it’s easy to see why his adjustment to a new team wasn’t exactly life altering (even if Rudy couldn’t).

But take a look at the numbers and in a 33-game sample, Gay’s debut in T.O. was actually some of the best basketball he’s played in years: 19.5 ppg (on 42.5% shooting), 6.4 boards and 1.7 steals a game. You can expect the same from him statistically over a full season. Will it be enough to land the Raptors in the playoffs? The answer likely depends on who you ask.

2012-13 Stats (w/Toronto and Memphis): 18.2 Pts/G, 6.1 Reb/G, 2.7 Ast/G, 41.6 FG%, 32.3 3P%, 35.8 MIN/G

***

Dwight Buycks, No. 13, Point Guard

Summer League standout and brand-new Raptor Dwight Buycks takes his place in front of the wall to talk about keeping it simple at breakfast.

First of all, it’s pronounced “Bikes.” Which opens up the very real and very awesome possibility that someone familiar with British and/or Australian slang will show up to the ACC this year with a sign reading “On your Buycks!”

Second, if all breaks right, you’ll remember the name Dwight Buycks for more than just its tricky pronunciation. As a 24-year-old rookie brought in this summer to provide scoring off the bench in the absence of guards John Lucas III and Alan Anderson, it’s unlikely Buycks becomes the point guard of the future in Toronto. Then again, his path to this point is already so unlikely. What’s one more step?

Undrafted out of Marquette in 2011, Buycks played 28 games for the Tulsa 66ers in the NBA D-League, scoring 15.1 points per on nearly 50 percent shooting. He also played 11 games in Belgium that year before signing with French Pro A team BCM Gravelines-Dunkerque in 2012–13. All he did in France was win league MVP.

Buycks then lit up Orlando Summer League in July as a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder before Toronto signed him away, and followed that feat up by leading Vegas Summer League with averages of 23 points and seven boards. When asked about his newest teammate, second-year two-guard Terrence Ross simply said, “He can do it all.”

With praise like that, it’s probably telling that new Raptors GM Masai Ujiri offered Buycks a two-year contract instead of an open-ended training-camp invite. So sure, call it a signing to fill out the roster. Just note that it doesn’t feel that way.

2012-13 stats (w/BCM Gravelines-Dunkerque): 18.0 PTS, 3.2 REB, 2.9 AST, 1.5 STL, 45.7 FG%, 38.4 3P%

***

Amir Johnson, No. 15, Forward

Raptors’ starting power forward Amir Johnson sits down with sportsnet.ca to talk about interacting with tigers and Rasheed Wallace’s two-ball jumper.

If you’ve seen Amir Johnson just before tip-off, hanging fully extended from the basket with his toes grazing the court, you already know the Raptors’ starting power forward is a lot longer than his officially listed height (six-foot-nine) would lead you to believe. And if you continued to watch Johnson after the opening tip, you probably also noticed that the Raptors are a better team with him on the floor. But I bet you didn’t realize just how much better.

With Johnson on the court last season, the Raptors scored 7.5 more points per 100 possessions and allowed 6.4 fewer—a net difference of +13.9. To put that astounding contribution in context: a 14-point shift in net rating more than covers the gap between last year’s No. 1-ranked Oklahoma City Thunder (+11) and the 21st-ranked Minnesota Timberwolves (-2.8). It’s the difference between a lottery pick and a playoff berth.

Last season saw another jump in Johnson’s minutes (to 28.7 per game), and there’s no reason to think he’ll get less run in 2013–14. A 41.7 percent shooter from the top of the key last year (per NBA.com), his midrange game pairs nicely with the strong spot-up shooting and post play of Jonas Valanciunas, and the pair is dominant on the defensive end (when they shared the floor, the Raptors defensive rating was better than Indiana’s league-leading mark). Johnson’s athleticism also makes him an exciting and effective finisher off the pick-and-roll, around the basket and especially in transition, where his 1.49 points per possession ranked him fifth in the league last season (per Synergy Sports).

Sure, he needs to foul less (he led the league with 301 personals in 2012-13) and get fouled more, but at 26 years old and with eight seasons in the rearview mirror Johnson is emerging as a truly game-changing player.

2012-13 Stats: 10 Pts/G, 7.5 Reb/G, 1.5 Ast/G, 1.4 Blk/G, 55.4% FG, 28.7 MIN/G

***

Aaron Gray, No. 34, Centre

Raptors’ backup big man Aaron Gray sits down with sportsnet.ca to stake his claim as the NBA’s grill master.

Aaron Gray is a consummate professional.

What’s that you say? Elaborate? It’s pretty simple, really: The 28-year-old seven-footer does everything that’s asked of him. Sure, that usually boils down to using his 270-pound frame to fill space in spot minutes off the bench, and needless to say Gray is quite effective at that (“that” = being big). But look closer and the University of Pittsburgh product, now entering his seventh season, has actually forged a nice career as a backup and should continue to provide value off the bench in 2013-14.

Offensively, he’ll give you garbage buckets around the basket and employ a surprisingly effective short hook shot within five feet, but defensively he’s proven to be a valuable post presence. Last season opponents shot a paltry 34.2 percent in the paint when guarded by Gray. What’s more, as his teammates and the Raps’ coaching staff will tell you, his work ethic and professionalism off the court are crucial assets, setting the tone and providing an example for young bigs like Jonas Valanciunas and Quincy Acy. So, while he’s not going to blow anyone away with his numbers and you’re not exactly building a franchise around the guy, Gray is a good player to have around; a consummate professional.

2012-13 Stats: 2.8 Pts/G, 3.2 Reb/G, O.8 Ast/G, 53.3% FG, 12.2 MIN/G

***

Dwane Casey, Head Coach

Raptors’ head coach Dwane Casey sits down with sportsnet.ca to talk H-O-R-S-E, Halloween costumes and much, much more.

Entering the last season of the contract he signed just hours after winning a championship with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011, Dwane Casey’s career with the Toronto Raptors is in the crosshairs—though it remains to be seen if his new boss is willing to pull the trigger.

When he first came to town preaching toughness, accountability and the defence-oriented approach that had brought him so much success in Dallas, Casey turned the Raptors from one of the worst ball-stopping teams in the NBA into an above-average operation. Though they eventually settled just below the middle of the pack (last season the Raps were 17th in points allowed and 18th in opp. FG%), Casey continued to preach toughness and effort, trying to coax it out of a group that wasn’t always up to the task.

This past summer, he watched as Bryan Colangelo, the man who hired him, was shipped out of town, replaced by new president and general manager Masai Ujiri. And though he’s been given the opportunity to once again prove his worth to the team, the end of the road may be in sight.

But spend some time around the defensive-minded coach and you get the feeling that he couldn’t be happier (at least compared to this same point in the last two seasons). And why not? Last year, the organization handed him an elite scorer in Rudy Gay, and then this summer Ujiri supplied some of the pieces Casey had been asking for since he arrived. Want toughness? How about Tyler Hansbrough? A shooter to stretch the floor? Meet Steve Novak. Sure, they’re not Ben Wallace and Ray Allen, but those pieces will help Casey coach the team toward his vision, and help him make his case on his terms.

At the end of the day, there’s only one measure by which Casey will be evaluated: wins and losses. If only life were always that simple.

What was Dwane Casey’s best Halloween costume ever? How many elephants did Amir Johnson ride this off-season? How many push-ups can Tyler Hansbrough do in a row? Every day until the season starts, staff writer Dave Zarum lines a Raptor up against a brick wall and asks them the tough questions.

***

Tyler Hansbrough, No. 50, Forward

Raptors push-up king Tyler Hansbrough fuels his half-court heaves with Pop Tarts

Watching at home, you may have missed it. Rudy Gay, working in isolation against Paul George on the near side, attracted most of the attention.

Catching a pass just inside the arc, Gay backed George toward the basket before making a hard move into the paint, curling around the Pacers’ small forward and drilling a tough jumper off his left foot. It was only after the shot fell that anyone fully registered the sight of Jonas Valanciunas writhing on the ground under the basket, holding his right hand in pain.

The replay clarified things. Guarded by Indiana’s Tyler Hansbrough on the weak side, Valanciunas initiated contact, battling for position as Gay rose to shoot. Taking exception to the young Lithuanian’s efforts, Hansbrough grabbed him under the armpit and, as Gay’s shot arced toward the net, hurled him to the floor—a dirty play, and one on which Valanciunas was injured.

It’s hard to imagine the player who threw the future of the franchise to the court becoming a fan favourite in Toronto. And yet, having signed Hansbrough to a two-year, $6.5-million deal, that’s exactly what the Raptors are hoping for from the hot-headed power forward.

Hansbrough is part of a low-cost, low-commitment effort by the front office to add some hard-nosed grit to the club. He plays a graceless brand of power basketball, his game low on athleticism but high on effort and brute strength. Unsurprisingly, he doesn’t exactly set off fireworks on the offensive end. He gets blocked a lot and shot just 29 percent on all attempts taken between three and 23 feet from the bucket last season. But the effort pays off on D—particularly in the post—and really seems to get under opponents’ skin.

Raptors fans tend to develop a soft spot for tough, driven backups (think Reggie Evans or JYD). Playing major minutes off the bench behind Amir Johnson, Hansbrough projects as just such a player, but whether fans can hurl the past aside and appreciate him for his present remains to be seen. Just know this: Though his game won’t often be pretty, you won’t ever miss his effort.

2012–13 Stats (w/Indiana): 7 Pts/G, 4.6 Reb/G, 0.4 Ast/G, 0.2 Blk/G, 43.2 FG%, 16.9 Min/G

***

Landry Fields, No. 2, Forward

With his back to the wall, Raptors’ small forward Landry Fields talks Bieber Fever and Fun Run, which is like Mario Kart… but not.

It’s safe to say that the nerve issue in Landry Fields’ right elbow (which in turn led to problems in his hand) severely limited the swingman in the 51 games he played in his first year in Toronto. After signing a lucrative three-year contract, much was expected from the 25-year old. After all, Fields showed tremendous promise in his first two NBA seasons with the New York Knicks, particularly his debut in which he averaged nearly 10 points and more than five rebounds per game while shooting 56 percent on twos and 39 percent on threes in 81 starts. Raptors fans expected something similar, but instead watched as Fields struggled to regain his shooting form and find a consistent role in Dwane Casey’s rotation. His numbers dropped considerably—across the board—and the Landry Fields fans had watched battle the Raps as a Knick seemed a distant memory.

But it’s a new season, and with it comes a shot at redemption for Fields and a chance to show the new guy in charge, Masai Ujiri, that he deserves to stick around for the long haul. Over a handful of pre-season games, Fields has seen his role expand and looks to finally be assuming the role of off-the-bench utility man that former-GM Bryan Colangelo envisioned for him when he was inked last summer.

Conveniently, that’s exactly what his team needs. Thin at the three spot, Fields’ versatile game and ability to help facilitate the offense should provide a boost for the Raptors second unit. That’s the hope, at least: That after a year marred by injury, Landry Fields will finally make his mark on the Raptors in 2013-14.

2012-13 Stats: 4.7 Pts/G, 4.1 Reb/G, 1.2 Ast/G, 45.7 FG%, 14.3 3P%, 20.3 Min/G

***

DeMar DeRozan, No. 10, Guard

Raptors’ star shooting guard DeMar DeRozan takes his place in front of the wall to rip on Amir Johnson’s wardrobe and talk about the incredibly specific amount of push-ups he can do in a row.

One of the maddening things about the Toronto Raptors in recent seasons has been their inability to avoid the “trap game.” They come off big wins (or at the very least close victories) against big teams only to drop one to a squad they should beat with their eyes closed. Even in a long 82-game season, this can’t happen. The ability of a team to go from the lottery to the playoffs is dependent on capitalizing on every opportunity, no matter how small.

Cue up some pre-season highlights of DeMar DeRozan. Bringing the ball across halfcourt against the Timberwolves on Oct. 9, Othyus Jeffers backpedalling in front of him, DeRozan runs the 28-year-old journeyman into an Amir Johnson screen, crosses him up, and then splits the flat-footed Pekovic-Love double-team for an easy layup. A couple nights later, a casual shot fake draws Knicks rookie Tim Hardaway Jr. in close enough for DeRozan to easily blow by him with a right-handed dribble on the way to the rack for an and-one dunk.

No, neither of these guys is Tony Allen. But for the Raptors to win, and DeRozan to take the next step towards outright NBA stardom, he needs to start making lesser players look bad on a regular basis, exploiting every mismatch at every opportunity—identifying weaknesses and attacking them relentlessly.

The way DeRozan plays will go a long way to determining how this Raptors team plays. Just 24, the Compton, Calif., native is already an upper-classman on this young Raptors squad—along with Amir Johnson he’s the longest-tenured player on the team.

In 2012–13, he put in his best season yet, posting career highs with 18.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game despite only a minor uptick in minutes from the year before. He also put up the highest free throw (83.1) and three-point percentages (28.3) of his career. But in that last number lies a rub. While a DeRozan personal best, it’s still low by league standards, and, in fact, was the worst mark in the NBA among shooting guards who took at least 100 three-point attempts.

In the first season of a four-year, $38-million contract, many will be waiting to see if DeRozan can keep pushing that number skyward. If he can hit even a league-average mark (roughly 36 percent last year), the results will be obvious and immediate. More respect for his perimeter shot would mean more blow-by chances and more space down low for teammates to do work. It’d probably mean more all-star votes, too, but that’s a discussion for November at the earliest.

2012–13 stats: 18.1 Pts/G, 3.9 Reb/G, 2.5 Ast/G, 44.5 FG%, 28.3 3P%, 36.7 Min/G

For a more in depth look at DeRozan, check out Dave Zarum’s piece “In His Court”

***

D.J Augustin, No. 14, Guard

Raptors’ backup point man D.J. Augustin spent his summer ripping around on four-wheelers and rewatching The Wire

With miles of open bench behind Kyle Lowry heading into the off-season, it’s hard to look at this summer’s acquisition of point guard D.J. Augustin as anything other than a solid, low-risk move by the Raptors’ new brass. A former starter (and a player who put up 14.4 points and 6.1 assists a night for the Bobcats as recently as 2010–11), Augustin brings at least half of the key combination of toughness and shooting prized by coach Dwane Casey—and he does it on a one-year, $1.2-million deal.

Yes, Augustin had a rough year in Indiana last season, shooting 35 percent from the floor in 16.1 minutes a night and disappearing on defence. But prior to that season with the Pacers, the former No. 9 pick had shown encouraging signs of development in Charlotte—improving his distribution skills (from 4.7 assists per 36 minutes in 2009–10 to 7.8 in 2011–12), without sacrificing the deep-shooting threat at the core of his game.

Will he compete with Lowry for starter’s minutes? No. He may even have a fight on his hands keeping the No. 2 spot safe from Dwight Buycks. But Augustin brings some bench depth and hunger, helps stretch the floor and is most definitely in the mood for a fresh start. Here’s hoping he gets it.

2012-13 Stats (w/Indiana): 4.7 Pts/G, 2.2 Ast/G, 1.2 Reb/G, 0.4 Stl/G, 35 FG%, 35.3 3P%, 16.1 Min/G

***

Austin Daye, No. 5, Forward

Raptors’ forward Austin Daye sits down with Sportsnet.ca to reminisce about his second grade Halloween costume.

When the Raptors signed free-agent forward Austin Daye in July, the move wasn’t meant to be transformative. Daye’s two-year, $2-million deal came with a team option allowing Toronto to cut him loose after the season. So, he brings length and shooting off the bench at a reasonable price with no long-term commitment. Pretty simple.

But, for Daye, this season could be a crucial one. Drafted out of Gonzaga by the Pistons with the No. 15 pick in 2009, the six-foot-11, 200-lb. forward has always been seen as a bit of a disappointment. Like many a rail-thin big man with a jumper before him, the line on Daye early in his career was that he was 20 or 30 pounds of muscle away from becoming the next Kevin Garnett. The muscle never arrived and neither did the defence (apart from solid-if-foul-prone shot-blocking) or the ability to drive the lane. Instead, Daye settled into the role of spot-shooting stretch four.

In 2011–12, it looked like even Daye’s stroke couldn’t be counted on. He hit just 21 percent from behind the arc for the season and didn’t seem long for the NBA. But the beginning of 2012–13 saw him rebound to shoot 52.5 percent on deep balls in 24 games with Detroit before heading to Memphis as part of the trade that brought Rudy Gay to Toronto. Daye finished the season with a true shooting percentage of 55.4, up 16 points from his disastrous 2011–12, and got to taste the playoffs for the first time as (a small) part of the Grizzlies’ run to the Western Conference Finals.

If the Raptors have landed the Daye who showed up to start last season, he’ll become a key contributor off the bench. If it’s the Daye of 2011–12, he won’t see much court time and will likely be looking for work at season’s end. Either way, it’s all on one man’s rail-thin shoulders.

2012-13 Stats (w/ Detroit and Memphis): 4.5 Pts/G, 2.2 Reb/G, 0.8 Ast/G, 43.3 FG%, 41.8 3P%, 12.3 Min/G

***

Kyle Lowry, No. 7, Guard

Raptors’ starting point guard Kyle Lowry sings the praises of Allen Iverson, Chauncey Billups and this old dude at the playground back home who just makes shots.

This time last year, it wasn’t clear whether Kyle Lowry would be able to wrangle full-time starting duties away from fan favourite Jose Calderon.

Now? Calderon is embarking on his first full NBA season in another uniform. And in Toronto, the Raptors are going to be relying heavily on Lowry in his second year with the club.

Which is how Lowry prefers it. Never one to shy away from pressure or challenges—a trait shared by most Philly-bred guards—the six-foot-three point man will have a major impact on the Raptors’ chances of returning to the postseason.

On his third franchise in seven years, Lowry has yet to establish himself as a bona fide top-10 player at his position. But he has undoubtedly earned his place as a starter in this league and does possess qualities that separate him from most NBA point guards. Specifically, he excels at getting into the lane and using his frame to establish and hold position down low, which also helps in snagging rebounds. His 4.7 rebounds per game last season were a career high, and good for fourth on the team.

But like always, it seems, Lowry—who is in the final year of his contract—is again out to prove himself. To prove that he can be a top-10 point guard, that he deserved to get the nod over Calderon, and that he should be the Raptors starting point guard, now and in the future. To prove he doesn’t have anything to prove.

2012-13 Stats: 11.6 Pts/G, 6.4 Ast/G, 4.7 Reb/G, 1.4 Stl/G, 40.1 FG%, 36.3 3P%, 29.7 Min/G

***

Steve Novak, No. 16, Forward

Newly acquired Raptors sharpshooter Steve Novak uses his time in front of the wall to lie about how many push-ups he can do in a row.

Steve Novak started his career in Houston, has played full seasons for the Clippers in La-La Land and the Knicks in the Big Apple, and this year he suits up for the first time in Toronto. But this story starts in Milwaukee. And with an anecdote about Dwyane Wade.

When Wade stepped to the free-throw line during a game against the Bucks one night in the ’09–10 season, the all-world guard heard the crowd chanting something. The chant? “No-vak’s bett-er.”

The two players aren’t linked by position, style, reputation or number of titles. They’re linked because they played together at Marquette for one year in 2002–03, a season in which they went to the Final Four. And while the chant may be a bit of a playful exaggeration in terms of all-around game, it’s certainly correct in at least one context: Novak is Wade’s easy superior when it comes to three-point shooting, and that fact is far beyond debate.

Novak is a career 43-percent three-point shooter and as recently as the 2011–12 season he led the league with a sizzling 47-percent clip from beyond the arc. And that’s precisely why GM Masai Ujiri brought him over from New York in this summer’s long-awaited Andrea Bargnani trade.

The Raptors were shaky from three-point land last season, and downright awful from the corners (they were dead last in the league from the right corner at 31.02 percent). Spotting Novak up on the arc on the team’s second unit will bump each of those numbers up. And he’s not going to move far out of his comfort zone either, putting the ball on the floor or forcing shots in traffic. For his career, he’s taken 77 percent of his shots from deep.

So, sure, Wade is very good. But in one sense very applicable to the Raptors and this coming season, Novak is better. When it comes to shooting from long range, he’s just about as good as it gets.

2012–13 stats (w/New York): 6.6 Pts/G, 1.9 Reb/G, 1.8 3P/G, 42.5 3P%, 20.3 MIN/G

***

Quincy Acy, No. 4, Forward

Big-bearded Raptors forward Quincy Acy sits down with sportsnet.ca to profess his love for the never-ending comedy of Martin

There’s no way to get around the fact that Quincy Acy didn’t see too much of the floor last season. An undersized four competing for minutes in a crowded frontcourt rotation, Acy got the short end of the stick—11.8 minutes per in 29 appearances. As a result, his measurables are a bit misleading: Acy put up the Raptors’ best field-goal percentage (56 percent) and his on/off splits suggest that the team was 15.2 points better per 100 possessions with him on the floor, but his sample sizes are microscopic and he got most of his run in blowouts and garbage time.

A few numbers provide interesting hints at the Baylor product’s pro potential—he’s a solid rebounder (pulling down 8.1 boards per 36 minutes) and his 81.6-percent mark from the free-throw line is a sign of excellent shooting mechanics—but to see Acy’s real value, it’s best to turn to qualities that are a bit harder to measure.

The 37th-overall pick in the 2012 draft, Acy is, frankly, a freakish physical specimen. His wingspan measures nearly seven-foot-three (the man himself is six-foot-seven), and in layup lines he routinely displays bounce that would allow him to braid his beard into the netting in mid-air, if that weren’t such an obviously terrible idea. He also showed toughness and true grit in the paint last season, qualities Toronto coaches and executives have been talking up all summer as key to the culture they hope to instill in the organization (see: Hansbrough, Tyler).

Most importantly, though, Acy brings the hunger and adaptability of a second-rounder hoping to stick in the NBA. Trying to bring some ferocity to the team’s perimeter D, Toronto’s coaching staff played with the idea of moving him to small forward in the off-season. Though he’d never played the position before, Acy took to the challenge with alacrity.

“I just think they see my athleticism, my tools,” he said. “They see it in me and they want to see if I will commit to it and I’m up for that. I have been working real hard on my lateral movement, my conditioning.”

The Raptors don’t exactly lack for bodies at the three, either, so minutes will still be hard to come by. One thing’s certain, though—Acy’s up for the challenge.

2012–13 Stats: 4 Pts/G, 2.7 Reb/G, O.5 Blk/G, 0.4 Stl/G, 56 FG%, 11.8 MIN/G

***

Rudy Gay, No. 22, Forward

With his back to the wall, sweet-shooting swingman Rudy Gay claims he shoots 42 percent on the half-court hook shot.

Rudy Gay is a franchise player—at least in the opinions of GMs Chris Wallace (who gave him a five-year, $82-million extension in 2010) and Bryan Colangelo (who sacrificed cap space and traded Ed Davis and Jose Calderon to bring him to the Raptors). But can Rudy Gay carry a team to the playoffs? That’s the question he’s out to answer in his first full campaign with the Toronto Raptors.

There are undeniable truths about the small forward: he’s an exceptional athlete and an elite scorer, advanced stats be damned. He is also at the centre of more criticism and analysis than anyone he plays with ($82 million will do that). Was the Gay trade a last-ditch panic move by a GM who could foresee his run in Toronto coming to an abrupt end? Or is the Gay we saw average 20 points and six boards as recently as two seasons ago and who established a reputation as a feared closer truly the most important piece in the Raps’ ever-evolving puzzle?

It’s hard to say. In Memphis, Gay was surrounded by more elite talent than he is in Toronto. Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol were double-team magnets, which certainly helped open up clean shot opportunities for Gay, a luxury doesn’t have with the Raptors. So, it’s easy to see why his adjustment to a new team wasn’t exactly life altering (even if Rudy couldn’t).

But take a look at the numbers and in a 33-game sample, Gay’s debut in T.O. was actually some of the best basketball he’s played in years: 19.5 ppg (on 42.5% shooting), 6.4 boards and 1.7 steals a game. You can expect the same from him statistically over a full season. Will it be enough to land the Raptors in the playoffs? The answer likely depends on who you ask.

2012-13 Stats (w/Toronto and Memphis): 18.2 Pts/G, 6.1 Reb/G, 2.7 Ast/G, 41.6 FG%, 32.3 3P%, 35.8 MIN/G

***

Dwight Buycks, No. 13, Point Guard

Summer League standout and brand-new Raptor Dwight Buycks takes his place in front of the wall to talk about keeping it simple at breakfast.

First of all, it’s pronounced “Bikes.” Which opens up the very real and very awesome possibility that someone familiar with British and/or Australian slang will show up to the ACC this year with a sign reading “On your Buycks!”

Second, if all breaks right, you’ll remember the name Dwight Buycks for more than just its tricky pronunciation. As a 24-year-old rookie brought in this summer to provide scoring off the bench in the absence of guards John Lucas III and Alan Anderson, it’s unlikely Buycks becomes the point guard of the future in Toronto. Then again, his path to this point is already so unlikely. What’s one more step?

Undrafted out of Marquette in 2011, Buycks played 28 games for the Tulsa 66ers in the NBA D-League, scoring 15.1 points per on nearly 50 percent shooting. He also played 11 games in Belgium that year before signing with French Pro A team BCM Gravelines-Dunkerque in 2012–13. All he did in France was win league MVP.

Buycks then lit up Orlando Summer League in July as a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder before Toronto signed him away, and followed that feat up by leading Vegas Summer League with averages of 23 points and seven boards. When asked about his newest teammate, second-year two-guard Terrence Ross simply said, “He can do it all.”

With praise like that, it’s probably telling that new Raptors GM Masai Ujiri offered Buycks a two-year contract instead of an open-ended training-camp invite. So sure, call it a signing to fill out the roster. Just note that it doesn’t feel that way.

2012-13 stats (w/BCM Gravelines-Dunkerque): 18.0 PTS, 3.2 REB, 2.9 AST, 1.5 STL, 45.7 FG%, 38.4 3P%

***

Amir Johnson, No. 15, Forward

Raptors’ starting power forward Amir Johnson sits down with sportsnet.ca to talk about interacting with tigers and Rasheed Wallace’s two-ball jumper.

If you’ve seen Amir Johnson just before tip-off, hanging fully extended from the basket with his toes grazing the court, you already know the Raptors’ starting power forward is a lot longer than his officially listed height (six-foot-nine) would lead you to believe. And if you continued to watch Johnson after the opening tip, you probably also noticed that the Raptors are a better team with him on the floor. But I bet you didn’t realize just how much better.

With Johnson on the court last season, the Raptors scored 7.5 more points per 100 possessions and allowed 6.4 fewer—a net difference of +13.9. To put that astounding contribution in context: a 14-point shift in net rating more than covers the gap between last year’s No. 1-ranked Oklahoma City Thunder (+11) and the 21st-ranked Minnesota Timberwolves (-2.8). It’s the difference between a lottery pick and a playoff berth.

Last season saw another jump in Johnson’s minutes (to 28.7 per game), and there’s no reason to think he’ll get less run in 2013–14. A 41.7 percent shooter from the top of the key last year (per NBA.com), his midrange game pairs nicely with the strong spot-up shooting and post play of Jonas Valanciunas, and the pair is dominant on the defensive end (when they shared the floor, the Raptors defensive rating was better than Indiana’s league-leading mark). Johnson’s athleticism also makes him an exciting and effective finisher off the pick-and-roll, around the basket and especially in transition, where his 1.49 points per possession ranked him fifth in the league last season (per Synergy Sports).

Sure, he needs to foul less (he led the league with 301 personals in 2012-13) and get fouled more, but at 26 years old and with eight seasons in the rearview mirror Johnson is emerging as a truly game-changing player.

2012-13 Stats: 10 Pts/G, 7.5 Reb/G, 1.5 Ast/G, 1.4 Blk/G, 55.4% FG, 28.7 MIN/G

***

Aaron Gray, No. 34, Centre

Raptors’ backup big man Aaron Gray sits down with sportsnet.ca to stake his claim as the NBA’s grill master.

Aaron Gray is a consummate professional.

What’s that you say? Elaborate? It’s pretty simple, really: The 28-year-old seven-footer does everything that’s asked of him. Sure, that usually boils down to using his 270-pound frame to fill space in spot minutes off the bench, and needless to say Gray is quite effective at that (“that” = being big). But look closer and the University of Pittsburgh product, now entering his seventh season, has actually forged a nice career as a backup and should continue to provide value off the bench in 2013-14.

Offensively, he’ll give you garbage buckets around the basket and employ a surprisingly effective short hook shot within five feet, but defensively he’s proven to be a valuable post presence. Last season opponents shot a paltry 34.2 percent in the paint when guarded by Gray. What’s more, as his teammates and the Raps’ coaching staff will tell you, his work ethic and professionalism off the court are crucial assets, setting the tone and providing an example for young bigs like Jonas Valanciunas and Quincy Acy. So, while he’s not going to blow anyone away with his numbers and you’re not exactly building a franchise around the guy, Gray is a good player to have around; a consummate professional.

2012-13 Stats: 2.8 Pts/G, 3.2 Reb/G, O.8 Ast/G, 53.3% FG, 12.2 MIN/G

***

Dwane Casey, Head Coach

Raptors’ head coach Dwane Casey sits down with sportsnet.ca to talk H-O-R-S-E, Halloween costumes and much, much more.

Entering the last season of the contract he signed just hours after winning a championship with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011, Dwane Casey’s career with the Toronto Raptors is in the crosshairs—though it remains to be seen if his new boss is willing to pull the trigger.

When he first came to town preaching toughness, accountability and the defence-oriented approach that had brought him so much success in Dallas, Casey turned the Raptors from one of the worst ball-stopping teams in the NBA into an above-average operation. Though they eventually settled just below the middle of the pack (last season the Raps were 17th in points allowed and 18th in opp. FG%), Casey continued to preach toughness and effort, trying to coax it out of a group that wasn’t always up to the task.

This past summer, he watched as Bryan Colangelo, the man who hired him, was shipped out of town, replaced by new president and general manager Masai Ujiri. And though he’s been given the opportunity to once again prove his worth to the team, the end of the road may be in sight.

But spend some time around the defensive-minded coach and you get the feeling that he couldn’t be happier (at least compared to this same point in the last two seasons). And why not? Last year, the organization handed him an elite scorer in Rudy Gay, and then this summer Ujiri supplied some of the pieces Casey had been asking for since he arrived. Want toughness? How about Tyler Hansbrough? A shooter to stretch the floor? Meet Steve Novak. Sure, they’re not Ben Wallace and Ray Allen, but those pieces will help Casey coach the team toward his vision, and help him make his case on his terms.

At the end of the day, there’s only one measure by which Casey will be evaluated: wins and losses. If only life were always that simple.

What was Dwane Casey’s best Halloween costume ever? How many elephants did Amir Johnson ride this off-season? How many push-ups can Tyler Hansbrough do in a row? Every day until the season starts, staff writer Dave Zarum lines a Raptor up against a brick wall and asks them the tough questions.

***

Terrence Ross, No. 31, Guard

Raptors’ forward Terrence Ross joins sportsnet.ca and reveals he’s afraid of heights, which is ironic for a reigning dunk contest champ

It was a hero’s shot. Down three to the Knicks in overtime with 4.1 seconds left on the clock. Terrence Ross inbounding the ball from New York’s baseline and flying off a pin-down screen from Chris Wright. Catching a pass from Julyan Stone just inside the arc with a pair of Knicks breathing down his neck. Turning and rising in one fluid motion. Firing off the game-tying three with a hand in his face, and hitting it as time expired. It was all the more heroic because he’d missed one just like it seconds before. The guts. The drama. Who cares if it was the pre-season?

Raptors fans are used to seeing Ross in the highlight reels. At times last year it felt like those peaks were the only moments the high-flying shooting guard was ever really and truly present on the court. Despite possessing the agility and athleticism to be an elite defender, Ross seemed to coast. He got caught napping and assignments blew by him. Despite bounce that could make a Super Ball blush, he only ever finished at the rim in transition or when presented with a lane you could drive a fleet of Canyoneros down. And despite flashes of potential on the perimeter, he shot just 33.2 percent from downtown.

The Raptors’ coaching staff asked Ross to work on his handle this summer, no doubt hoping to encourage him to put the ball on the floor and attack the basket with a bit more regularity. Dwane Casey has also stressed the importance of laying out the necessary effort on D. If he can show in year two that he took both suggestions to heart, he’ll go a long way towards making the jump from athlete-with-potential to starting-calibre player. Until then, though, the bulk of his contributions in Toronto will continue to go to the highlight reels.

2012–13 Stats: 6.4 Pts/G, 2.0 Reb/G, 0.7 Ast/G, 40.7 FG%, 33.2 3P%, 17.0 Min/G

***

Carlos Morais, No. 6, Guard / Julyan Stone, No. 77, Guard / Chris Wright, No. 33, Forward

The three training camp invitees fighting to become the Raptors’ 15th man open up about their three-piece jazz combo

Less than a week until the start of the regular season, the Raptors are still carrying 17 guys on a roster of 15, which means only one of the trio of Carlos Morais, Julyan Stone and Chris Wright will make the team.

Morais, a 28-year-old, six-foot-four shooting guard, has suited up internationally for Angola several times, averaging 14.8 points and 2.8 rebounds in four games at the 2008 Olympics. He’s the first Angolan to sign a professional contract in the NBA, but the contract is non-guaranteed and he’s yet to see much of the floor this pre-season. He’s played only 15 minutes total, and hasn’t seen game action since Oct. 12.

Wright, a 25-year-old small forward, played in 24 games with the Warriors in 2011–12. Though the sample size is incredibly small, he had a player efficiency rating of 18.6, hitting better than 50 percent of his shots from the field. He followed that up by being named to the All-NBA D-League Third Team as a member of the Maine Red Claws, where he scored 18.3 points per game, pulled down 9.3 rebounds and showed increased comfort behind the three-point arc (though that hasn’t been the case so far this pre-season).

Stone, a 24-year-old point guard who saw limited action in Denver the last two years (and is therefore quite familiar with new Raps GM Masai Ujiri), signed with the Raptors earlier this summer but had the deal voided when he failed a physical. Still, he managed to secure a training-camp invite and has seen his minutes trend upward (from four on Oct. 9 to 25 in the double-OT win over the Knicks on Oct. 21).

With DJ Augustin and Dwight Buycks already available to fill in at the point when Kyle Lowry takes a breather, and Landry Fields and Terrence Ross around to backup DeMar DeRozan, the position of greatest need would seem to be SF—a feather in Wright’s cap. But Stone is a versatile defender at six-foot-six and Dwane Casey loves his ability to guard multiple positions. Right now the spot could be his to lose.

***

Tyler Hansbrough, No. 50, Forward

Raptors push-up king Tyler Hansbrough fuels his half-court heaves with Pop Tarts

Watching at home, you may have missed it. Rudy Gay, working in isolation against Paul George on the near side, attracted most of the attention.

Catching a pass just inside the arc, Gay backed George toward the basket before making a hard move into the paint, curling around the Pacers’ small forward and drilling a tough jumper off his left foot. It was only after the shot fell that anyone fully registered the sight of Jonas Valanciunas writhing on the ground under the basket, holding his right hand in pain.

The replay clarified things. Guarded by Indiana’s Tyler Hansbrough on the weak side, Valanciunas initiated contact, battling for position as Gay rose to shoot. Taking exception to the young Lithuanian’s efforts, Hansbrough grabbed him under the armpit and, as Gay’s shot arced toward the net, hurled him to the floor—a dirty play, and one on which Valanciunas was injured.

It’s hard to imagine the player who threw the future of the franchise to the court becoming a fan favourite in Toronto. And yet, having signed Hansbrough to a two-year, $6.5-million deal, that’s exactly what the Raptors are hoping for from the hot-headed power forward.

Hansbrough is part of a low-cost, low-commitment effort by the front office to add some hard-nosed grit to the club. He plays a graceless brand of power basketball, his game low on athleticism but high on effort and brute strength. Unsurprisingly, he doesn’t exactly set off fireworks on the offensive end. He gets blocked a lot and shot just 29 percent on all attempts taken between three and 23 feet from the bucket last season. But the effort pays off on D—particularly in the post—and really seems to get under opponents’ skin.

Raptors fans tend to develop a soft spot for tough, driven backups (think Reggie Evans or JYD). Playing major minutes off the bench behind Amir Johnson, Hansbrough projects as just such a player, but whether fans can hurl the past aside and appreciate him for his present remains to be seen. Just know this: Though his game won’t often be pretty, you won’t ever miss his effort.

2012–13 Stats (w/Indiana): 7 Pts/G, 4.6 Reb/G, 0.4 Ast/G, 0.2 Blk/G, 43.2 FG%, 16.9 Min/G

***

Landry Fields, No. 2, Forward

With his back to the wall, Raptors’ small forward Landry Fields talks Bieber Fever and Fun Run, which is like Mario Kart… but not.

It’s safe to say that the nerve issue in Landry Fields’ right elbow (which in turn led to problems in his hand) severely limited the swingman in the 51 games he played in his first year in Toronto. After signing a lucrative three-year contract, much was expected from the 25-year old. After all, Fields showed tremendous promise in his first two NBA seasons with the New York Knicks, particularly his debut in which he averaged nearly 10 points and more than five rebounds per game while shooting 56 percent on twos and 39 percent on threes in 81 starts. Raptors fans expected something similar, but instead watched as Fields struggled to regain his shooting form and find a consistent role in Dwane Casey’s rotation. His numbers dropped considerably—across the board—and the Landry Fields fans had watched battle the Raps as a Knick seemed a distant memory.

But it’s a new season, and with it comes a shot at redemption for Fields and a chance to show the new guy in charge, Masai Ujiri, that he deserves to stick around for the long haul. Over a handful of pre-season games, Fields has seen his role expand and looks to finally be assuming the role of off-the-bench utility man that former-GM Bryan Colangelo envisioned for him when he was inked last summer.

Conveniently, that’s exactly what his team needs. Thin at the three spot, Fields’ versatile game and ability to help facilitate the offense should provide a boost for the Raptors second unit. That’s the hope, at least: That after a year marred by injury, Landry Fields will finally make his mark on the Raptors in 2013-14.

2012-13 Stats: 4.7 Pts/G, 4.1 Reb/G, 1.2 Ast/G, 45.7 FG%, 14.3 3P%, 20.3 Min/G

***

DeMar DeRozan, No. 10, Guard

Raptors’ star shooting guard DeMar DeRozan takes his place in front of the wall to rip on Amir Johnson’s wardrobe and talk about the incredibly specific amount of push-ups he can do in a row.

One of the maddening things about the Toronto Raptors in recent seasons has been their inability to avoid the “trap game.” They come off big wins (or at the very least close victories) against big teams only to drop one to a squad they should beat with their eyes closed. Even in a long 82-game season, this can’t happen. The ability of a team to go from the lottery to the playoffs is dependent on capitalizing on every opportunity, no matter how small.

Cue up some pre-season highlights of DeMar DeRozan. Bringing the ball across halfcourt against the Timberwolves on Oct. 9, Othyus Jeffers backpedalling in front of him, DeRozan runs the 28-year-old journeyman into an Amir Johnson screen, crosses him up, and then splits the flat-footed Pekovic-Love double-team for an easy layup. A couple nights later, a casual shot fake draws Knicks rookie Tim Hardaway Jr. in close enough for DeRozan to easily blow by him with a right-handed dribble on the way to the rack for an and-one dunk.

No, neither of these guys is Tony Allen. But for the Raptors to win, and DeRozan to take the next step towards outright NBA stardom, he needs to start making lesser players look bad on a regular basis, exploiting every mismatch at every opportunity—identifying weaknesses and attacking them relentlessly.

The way DeRozan plays will go a long way to determining how this Raptors team plays. Just 24, the Compton, Calif., native is already an upper-classman on this young Raptors squad—along with Amir Johnson he’s the longest-tenured player on the team.

In 2012–13, he put in his best season yet, posting career highs with 18.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game despite only a minor uptick in minutes from the year before. He also put up the highest free throw (83.1) and three-point percentages (28.3) of his career. But in that last number lies a rub. While a DeRozan personal best, it’s still low by league standards, and, in fact, was the worst mark in the NBA among shooting guards who took at least 100 three-point attempts.

In the first season of a four-year, $38-million contract, many will be waiting to see if DeRozan can keep pushing that number skyward. If he can hit even a league-average mark (roughly 36 percent last year), the results will be obvious and immediate. More respect for his perimeter shot would mean more blow-by chances and more space down low for teammates to do work. It’d probably mean more all-star votes, too, but that’s a discussion for November at the earliest.

2012–13 stats: 18.1 Pts/G, 3.9 Reb/G, 2.5 Ast/G, 44.5 FG%, 28.3 3P%, 36.7 Min/G

For a more in depth look at DeRozan, check out Dave Zarum’s piece “In His Court”

***

D.J Augustin, No. 14, Guard

Raptors’ backup point man D.J. Augustin spent his summer ripping around on four-wheelers and rewatching The Wire

With miles of open bench behind Kyle Lowry heading into the off-season, it’s hard to look at this summer’s acquisition of point guard D.J. Augustin as anything other than a solid, low-risk move by the Raptors’ new brass. A former starter (and a player who put up 14.4 points and 6.1 assists a night for the Bobcats as recently as 2010–11), Augustin brings at least half of the key combination of toughness and shooting prized by coach Dwane Casey—and he does it on a one-year, $1.2-million deal.

Yes, Augustin had a rough year in Indiana last season, shooting 35 percent from the floor in 16.1 minutes a night and disappearing on defence. But prior to that season with the Pacers, the former No. 9 pick had shown encouraging signs of development in Charlotte—improving his distribution skills (from 4.7 assists per 36 minutes in 2009–10 to 7.8 in 2011–12), without sacrificing the deep-shooting threat at the core of his game.

Will he compete with Lowry for starter’s minutes? No. He may even have a fight on his hands keeping the No. 2 spot safe from Dwight Buycks. But Augustin brings some bench depth and hunger, helps stretch the floor and is most definitely in the mood for a fresh start. Here’s hoping he gets it.

2012-13 Stats (w/Indiana): 4.7 Pts/G, 2.2 Ast/G, 1.2 Reb/G, 0.4 Stl/G, 35 FG%, 35.3 3P%, 16.1 Min/G

***

Austin Daye, No. 5, Forward

Raptors’ forward Austin Daye sits down with Sportsnet.ca to reminisce about his second grade Halloween costume.

When the Raptors signed free-agent forward Austin Daye in July, the move wasn’t meant to be transformative. Daye’s two-year, $2-million deal came with a team option allowing Toronto to cut him loose after the season. So, he brings length and shooting off the bench at a reasonable price with no long-term commitment. Pretty simple.

But, for Daye, this season could be a crucial one. Drafted out of Gonzaga by the Pistons with the No. 15 pick in 2009, the six-foot-11, 200-lb. forward has always been seen as a bit of a disappointment. Like many a rail-thin big man with a jumper before him, the line on Daye early in his career was that he was 20 or 30 pounds of muscle away from becoming the next Kevin Garnett. The muscle never arrived and neither did the defence (apart from solid-if-foul-prone shot-blocking) or the ability to drive the lane. Instead, Daye settled into the role of spot-shooting stretch four.

In 2011–12, it looked like even Daye’s stroke couldn’t be counted on. He hit just 21 percent from behind the arc for the season and didn’t seem long for the NBA. But the beginning of 2012–13 saw him rebound to shoot 52.5 percent on deep balls in 24 games with Detroit before heading to Memphis as part of the trade that brought Rudy Gay to Toronto. Daye finished the season with a true shooting percentage of 55.4, up 16 points from his disastrous 2011–12, and got to taste the playoffs for the first time as (a small) part of the Grizzlies’ run to the Western Conference Finals.

If the Raptors have landed the Daye who showed up to start last season, he’ll become a key contributor off the bench. If it’s the Daye of 2011–12, he won’t see much court time and will likely be looking for work at season’s end. Either way, it’s all on one man’s rail-thin shoulders.

2012-13 Stats (w/ Detroit and Memphis): 4.5 Pts/G, 2.2 Reb/G, 0.8 Ast/G, 43.3 FG%, 41.8 3P%, 12.3 Min/G

***

Kyle Lowry, No. 7, Guard

Raptors’ starting point guard Kyle Lowry sings the praises of Allen Iverson, Chauncey Billups and this old dude at the playground back home who just makes shots.

This time last year, it wasn’t clear whether Kyle Lowry would be able to wrangle full-time starting duties away from fan favourite Jose Calderon.

Now? Calderon is embarking on his first full NBA season in another uniform. And in Toronto, the Raptors are going to be relying heavily on Lowry in his second year with the club.

Which is how Lowry prefers it. Never one to shy away from pressure or challenges—a trait shared by most Philly-bred guards—the six-foot-three point man will have a major impact on the Raptors’ chances of returning to the postseason.

On his third franchise in seven years, Lowry has yet to establish himself as a bona fide top-10 player at his position. But he has undoubtedly earned his place as a starter in this league and does possess qualities that separate him from most NBA point guards. Specifically, he excels at getting into the lane and using his frame to establish and hold position down low, which also helps in snagging rebounds. His 4.7 rebounds per game last season were a career high, and good for fourth on the team.

But like always, it seems, Lowry—who is in the final year of his contract—is again out to prove himself. To prove that he can be a top-10 point guard, that he deserved to get the nod over Calderon, and that he should be the Raptors starting point guard, now and in the future. To prove he doesn’t have anything to prove.

2012-13 Stats: 11.6 Pts/G, 6.4 Ast/G, 4.7 Reb/G, 1.4 Stl/G, 40.1 FG%, 36.3 3P%, 29.7 Min/G

***

Steve Novak, No. 16, Forward

Newly acquired Raptors sharpshooter Steve Novak uses his time in front of the wall to lie about how many push-ups he can do in a row.

Steve Novak started his career in Houston, has played full seasons for the Clippers in La-La Land and the Knicks in the Big Apple, and this year he suits up for the first time in Toronto. But this story starts in Milwaukee. And with an anecdote about Dwyane Wade.

When Wade stepped to the free-throw line during a game against the Bucks one night in the ’09–10 season, the all-world guard heard the crowd chanting something. The chant? “No-vak’s bett-er.”

The two players aren’t linked by position, style, reputation or number of titles. They’re linked because they played together at Marquette for one year in 2002–03, a season in which they went to the Final Four. And while the chant may be a bit of a playful exaggeration in terms of all-around game, it’s certainly correct in at least one context: Novak is Wade’s easy superior when it comes to three-point shooting, and that fact is far beyond debate.

Novak is a career 43-percent three-point shooter and as recently as the 2011–12 season he led the league with a sizzling 47-percent clip from beyond the arc. And that’s precisely why GM Masai Ujiri brought him over from New York in this summer’s long-awaited Andrea Bargnani trade.

The Raptors were shaky from three-point land last season, and downright awful from the corners (they were dead last in the league from the right corner at 31.02 percent). Spotting Novak up on the arc on the team’s second unit will bump each of those numbers up. And he’s not going to move far out of his comfort zone either, putting the ball on the floor or forcing shots in traffic. For his career, he’s taken 77 percent of his shots from deep.

So, sure, Wade is very good. But in one sense very applicable to the Raptors and this coming season, Novak is better. When it comes to shooting from long range, he’s just about as good as it gets.

2012–13 stats (w/New York): 6.6 Pts/G, 1.9 Reb/G, 1.8 3P/G, 42.5 3P%, 20.3 MIN/G

***

Quincy Acy, No. 4, Forward

Big-bearded Raptors forward Quincy Acy sits down with sportsnet.ca to profess his love for the never-ending comedy of Martin

There’s no way to get around the fact that Quincy Acy didn’t see too much of the floor last season. An undersized four competing for minutes in a crowded frontcourt rotation, Acy got the short end of the stick—11.8 minutes per in 29 appearances. As a result, his measurables are a bit misleading: Acy put up the Raptors’ best field-goal percentage (56 percent) and his on/off splits suggest that the team was 15.2 points better per 100 possessions with him on the floor, but his sample sizes are microscopic and he got most of his run in blowouts and garbage time.

A few numbers provide interesting hints at the Baylor product’s pro potential—he’s a solid rebounder (pulling down 8.1 boards per 36 minutes) and his 81.6-percent mark from the free-throw line is a sign of excellent shooting mechanics—but to see Acy’s real value, it’s best to turn to qualities that are a bit harder to measure.

The 37th-overall pick in the 2012 draft, Acy is, frankly, a freakish physical specimen. His wingspan measures nearly seven-foot-three (the man himself is six-foot-seven), and in layup lines he routinely displays bounce that would allow him to braid his beard into the netting in mid-air, if that weren’t such an obviously terrible idea. He also showed toughness and true grit in the paint last season, qualities Toronto coaches and executives have been talking up all summer as key to the culture they hope to instill in the organization (see: Hansbrough, Tyler).

Most importantly, though, Acy brings the hunger and adaptability of a second-rounder hoping to stick in the NBA. Trying to bring some ferocity to the team’s perimeter D, Toronto’s coaching staff played with the idea of moving him to small forward in the off-season. Though he’d never played the position before, Acy took to the challenge with alacrity.

“I just think they see my athleticism, my tools,” he said. “They see it in me and they want to see if I will commit to it and I’m up for that. I have been working real hard on my lateral movement, my conditioning.”

The Raptors don’t exactly lack for bodies at the three, either, so minutes will still be hard to come by. One thing’s certain, though—Acy’s up for the challenge.

2012–13 Stats: 4 Pts/G, 2.7 Reb/G, O.5 Blk/G, 0.4 Stl/G, 56 FG%, 11.8 MIN/G

***

Rudy Gay, No. 22, Forward

With his back to the wall, sweet-shooting swingman Rudy Gay claims he shoots 42 percent on the half-court hook shot.

Rudy Gay is a franchise player—at least in the opinions of GMs Chris Wallace (who gave him a five-year, $82-million extension in 2010) and Bryan Colangelo (who sacrificed cap space and traded Ed Davis and Jose Calderon to bring him to the Raptors). But can Rudy Gay carry a team to the playoffs? That’s the question he’s out to answer in his first full campaign with the Toronto Raptors.

There are undeniable truths about the small forward: he’s an exceptional athlete and an elite scorer, advanced stats be damned. He is also at the centre of more criticism and analysis than anyone he plays with ($82 million will do that). Was the Gay trade a last-ditch panic move by a GM who could foresee his run in Toronto coming to an abrupt end? Or is the Gay we saw average 20 points and six boards as recently as two seasons ago and who established a reputation as a feared closer truly the most important piece in the Raps’ ever-evolving puzzle?

It’s hard to say. In Memphis, Gay was surrounded by more elite talent than he is in Toronto. Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol were double-team magnets, which certainly helped open up clean shot opportunities for Gay, a luxury doesn’t have with the Raptors. So, it’s easy to see why his adjustment to a new team wasn’t exactly life altering (even if Rudy couldn’t).

But take a look at the numbers and in a 33-game sample, Gay’s debut in T.O. was actually some of the best basketball he’s played in years: 19.5 ppg (on 42.5% shooting), 6.4 boards and 1.7 steals a game. You can expect the same from him statistically over a full season. Will it be enough to land the Raptors in the playoffs? The answer likely depends on who you ask.

2012-13 Stats (w/Toronto and Memphis): 18.2 Pts/G, 6.1 Reb/G, 2.7 Ast/G, 41.6 FG%, 32.3 3P%, 35.8 MIN/G

***

Dwight Buycks, No. 13, Point Guard

Summer League standout and brand-new Raptor Dwight Buycks takes his place in front of the wall to talk about keeping it simple at breakfast.

First of all, it’s pronounced “Bikes.” Which opens up the very real and very awesome possibility that someone familiar with British and/or Australian slang will show up to the ACC this year with a sign reading “On your Buycks!”

Second, if all breaks right, you’ll remember the name Dwight Buycks for more than just its tricky pronunciation. As a 24-year-old rookie brought in this summer to provide scoring off the bench in the absence of guards John Lucas III and Alan Anderson, it’s unlikely Buycks becomes the point guard of the future in Toronto. Then again, his path to this point is already so unlikely. What’s one more step?

Undrafted out of Marquette in 2011, Buycks played 28 games for the Tulsa 66ers in the NBA D-League, scoring 15.1 points per on nearly 50 percent shooting. He also played 11 games in Belgium that year before signing with French Pro A team BCM Gravelines-Dunkerque in 2012–13. All he did in France was win league MVP.

Buycks then lit up Orlando Summer League in July as a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder before Toronto signed him away, and followed that feat up by leading Vegas Summer League with averages of 23 points and seven boards. When asked about his newest teammate, second-year two-guard Terrence Ross simply said, “He can do it all.”

With praise like that, it’s probably telling that new Raptors GM Masai Ujiri offered Buycks a two-year contract instead of an open-ended training-camp invite. So sure, call it a signing to fill out the roster. Just note that it doesn’t feel that way.

2012-13 stats (w/BCM Gravelines-Dunkerque): 18.0 PTS, 3.2 REB, 2.9 AST, 1.5 STL, 45.7 FG%, 38.4 3P%

***

Amir Johnson, No. 15, Forward

Raptors’ starting power forward Amir Johnson sits down with sportsnet.ca to talk about interacting with tigers and Rasheed Wallace’s two-ball jumper.

If you’ve seen Amir Johnson just before tip-off, hanging fully extended from the basket with his toes grazing the court, you already know the Raptors’ starting power forward is a lot longer than his officially listed height (six-foot-nine) would lead you to believe. And if you continued to watch Johnson after the opening tip, you probably also noticed that the Raptors are a better team with him on the floor. But I bet you didn’t realize just how much better.

With Johnson on the court last season, the Raptors scored 7.5 more points per 100 possessions and allowed 6.4 fewer—a net difference of +13.9. To put that astounding contribution in context: a 14-point shift in net rating more than covers the gap between last year’s No. 1-ranked Oklahoma City Thunder (+11) and the 21st-ranked Minnesota Timberwolves (-2.8). It’s the difference between a lottery pick and a playoff berth.

Last season saw another jump in Johnson’s minutes (to 28.7 per game), and there’s no reason to think he’ll get less run in 2013–14. A 41.7 percent shooter from the top of the key last year (per NBA.com), his midrange game pairs nicely with the strong spot-up shooting and post play of Jonas Valanciunas, and the pair is dominant on the defensive end (when they shared the floor, the Raptors defensive rating was better than Indiana’s league-leading mark). Johnson’s athleticism also makes him an exciting and effective finisher off the pick-and-roll, around the basket and especially in transition, where his 1.49 points per possession ranked him fifth in the league last season (per Synergy Sports).

Sure, he needs to foul less (he led the league with 301 personals in 2012-13) and get fouled more, but at 26 years old and with eight seasons in the rearview mirror Johnson is emerging as a truly game-changing player.

2012-13 Stats: 10 Pts/G, 7.5 Reb/G, 1.5 Ast/G, 1.4 Blk/G, 55.4% FG, 28.7 MIN/G

***

Aaron Gray, No. 34, Centre

Raptors’ backup big man Aaron Gray sits down with sportsnet.ca to stake his claim as the NBA’s grill master.

Aaron Gray is a consummate professional.

What’s that you say? Elaborate? It’s pretty simple, really: The 28-year-old seven-footer does everything that’s asked of him. Sure, that usually boils down to using his 270-pound frame to fill space in spot minutes off the bench, and needless to say Gray is quite effective at that (“that” = being big). But look closer and the University of Pittsburgh product, now entering his seventh season, has actually forged a nice career as a backup and should continue to provide value off the bench in 2013-14.

Offensively, he’ll give you garbage buckets around the basket and employ a surprisingly effective short hook shot within five feet, but defensively he’s proven to be a valuable post presence. Last season opponents shot a paltry 34.2 percent in the paint when guarded by Gray. What’s more, as his teammates and the Raps’ coaching staff will tell you, his work ethic and professionalism off the court are crucial assets, setting the tone and providing an example for young bigs like Jonas Valanciunas and Quincy Acy. So, while he’s not going to blow anyone away with his numbers and you’re not exactly building a franchise around the guy, Gray is a good player to have around; a consummate professional.

2012-13 Stats: 2.8 Pts/G, 3.2 Reb/G, O.8 Ast/G, 53.3% FG, 12.2 MIN/G

***

Dwane Casey, Head Coach

Raptors’ head coach Dwane Casey sits down with sportsnet.ca to talk H-O-R-S-E, Halloween costumes and much, much more.

Entering the last season of the contract he signed just hours after winning a championship with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011, Dwane Casey’s career with the Toronto Raptors is in the crosshairs—though it remains to be seen if his new boss is willing to pull the trigger.

When he first came to town preaching toughness, accountability and the defence-oriented approach that had brought him so much success in Dallas, Casey turned the Raptors from one of the worst ball-stopping teams in the NBA into an above-average operation. Though they eventually settled just below the middle of the pack (last season the Raps were 17th in points allowed and 18th in opp. FG%), Casey continued to preach toughness and effort, trying to coax it out of a group that wasn’t always up to the task.

This past summer, he watched as Bryan Colangelo, the man who hired him, was shipped out of town, replaced by new president and general manager Masai Ujiri. And though he’s been given the opportunity to once again prove his worth to the team, the end of the road may be in sight.

But spend some time around the defensive-minded coach and you get the feeling that he couldn’t be happier (at least compared to this same point in the last two seasons). And why not? Last year, the organization handed him an elite scorer in Rudy Gay, and then this summer Ujiri supplied some of the pieces Casey had been asking for since he arrived. Want toughness? How about Tyler Hansbrough? A shooter to stretch the floor? Meet Steve Novak. Sure, they’re not Ben Wallace and Ray Allen, but those pieces will help Casey coach the team toward his vision, and help him make his case on his terms.

At the end of the day, there’s only one measure by which Casey will be evaluated: wins and losses. If only life were always that simple.

What was Dwane Casey’s best Halloween costume ever? How many elephants did Amir Johnson ride this off-season? How many push-ups can Tyler Hansbrough do in a row? Every day until the season starts, staff writer Dave Zarum lines a Raptor up against a brick wall and asks them the tough questions.

***

Tyler Hansbrough, No. 50, Forward

Raptors push-up king Tyler Hansbrough fuels his half-court heaves with Pop Tarts

Watching at home, you may have missed it. Rudy Gay, working in isolation against Paul George on the near side, attracted most of the attention.

Catching a pass just inside the arc, Gay backed George toward the basket before making a hard move into the paint, curling around the Pacers’ small forward and drilling a tough jumper off his left foot. It was only after the shot fell that anyone fully registered the sight of Jonas Valanciunas writhing on the ground under the basket, holding his right hand in pain.

The replay clarified things. Guarded by Indiana’s Tyler Hansbrough on the weak side, Valanciunas initiated contact, battling for position as Gay rose to shoot. Taking exception to the young Lithuanian’s efforts, Hansbrough grabbed him under the armpit and, as Gay’s shot arced toward the net, hurled him to the floor—a dirty play, and one on which Valanciunas was injured.

It’s hard to imagine the player who threw the future of the franchise to the court becoming a fan favourite in Toronto. And yet, having signed Hansbrough to a two-year, $6.5-million deal, that’s exactly what the Raptors are hoping for from the hot-headed power forward.

Hansbrough is part of a low-cost, low-commitment effort by the front office to add some hard-nosed grit to the club. He plays a graceless brand of power basketball, his game low on athleticism but high on effort and brute strength. Unsurprisingly, he doesn’t exactly set off fireworks on the offensive end. He gets blocked a lot and shot just 29 percent on all attempts taken between three and 23 feet from the bucket last season. But the effort pays off on D—particularly in the post—and really seems to get under opponents’ skin.

Raptors fans tend to develop a soft spot for tough, driven backups (think Reggie Evans or JYD). Playing major minutes off the bench behind Amir Johnson, Hansbrough projects as just such a player, but whether fans can hurl the past aside and appreciate him for his present remains to be seen. Just know this: Though his game won’t often be pretty, you won’t ever miss his effort.

2012–13 Stats (w/Indiana): 7 Pts/G, 4.6 Reb/G, 0.4 Ast/G, 0.2 Blk/G, 43.2 FG%, 16.9 Min/G

***

Landry Fields, No. 2, Forward

With his back to the wall, Raptors’ small forward Landry Fields talks Bieber Fever and Fun Run, which is like Mario Kart… but not.

It’s safe to say that the nerve issue in Landry Fields’ right elbow (which in turn led to problems in his hand) severely limited the swingman in the 51 games he played in his first year in Toronto. After signing a lucrative three-year contract, much was expected from the 25-year old. After all, Fields showed tremendous promise in his first two NBA seasons with the New York Knicks, particularly his debut in which he averaged nearly 10 points and more than five rebounds per game while shooting 56 percent on twos and 39 percent on threes in 81 starts. Raptors fans expected something similar, but instead watched as Fields struggled to regain his shooting form and find a consistent role in Dwane Casey’s rotation. His numbers dropped considerably—across the board—and the Landry Fields fans had watched battle the Raps as a Knick seemed a distant memory.

But it’s a new season, and with it comes a shot at redemption for Fields and a chance to show the new guy in charge, Masai Ujiri, that he deserves to stick around for the long haul. Over a handful of pre-season games, Fields has seen his role expand and looks to finally be assuming the role of off-the-bench utility man that former-GM Bryan Colangelo envisioned for him when he was inked last summer.

Conveniently, that’s exactly what his team needs. Thin at the three spot, Fields’ versatile game and ability to help facilitate the offense should provide a boost for the Raptors second unit. That’s the hope, at least: That after a year marred by injury, Landry Fields will finally make his mark on the Raptors in 2013-14.

2012-13 Stats: 4.7 Pts/G, 4.1 Reb/G, 1.2 Ast/G, 45.7 FG%, 14.3 3P%, 20.3 Min/G

***

DeMar DeRozan, No. 10, Guard

Raptors’ star shooting guard DeMar DeRozan takes his place in front of the wall to rip on Amir Johnson’s wardrobe and talk about the incredibly specific amount of push-ups he can do in a row.

One of the maddening things about the Toronto Raptors in recent seasons has been their inability to avoid the “trap game.” They come off big wins (or at the very least close victories) against big teams only to drop one to a squad they should beat with their eyes closed. Even in a long 82-game season, this can’t happen. The ability of a team to go from the lottery to the playoffs is dependent on capitalizing on every opportunity, no matter how small.

Cue up some pre-season highlights of DeMar DeRozan. Bringing the ball across halfcourt against the Timberwolves on Oct. 9, Othyus Jeffers backpedalling in front of him, DeRozan runs the 28-year-old journeyman into an Amir Johnson screen, crosses him up, and then splits the flat-footed Pekovic-Love double-team for an easy layup. A couple nights later, a casual shot fake draws Knicks rookie Tim Hardaway Jr. in close enough for DeRozan to easily blow by him with a right-handed dribble on the way to the rack for an and-one dunk.

No, neither of these guys is Tony Allen. But for the Raptors to win, and DeRozan to take the next step towards outright NBA stardom, he needs to start making lesser players look bad on a regular basis, exploiting every mismatch at every opportunity—identifying weaknesses and attacking them relentlessly.

The way DeRozan plays will go a long way to determining how this Raptors team plays. Just 24, the Compton, Calif., native is already an upper-classman on this young Raptors squad—along with Amir Johnson he’s the longest-tenured player on the team.

In 2012–13, he put in his best season yet, posting career highs with 18.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game despite only a minor uptick in minutes from the year before. He also put up the highest free throw (83.1) and three-point percentages (28.3) of his career. But in that last number lies a rub. While a DeRozan personal best, it’s still low by league standards, and, in fact, was the worst mark in the NBA among shooting guards who took at least 100 three-point attempts.

In the first season of a four-year, $38-million contract, many will be waiting to see if DeRozan can keep pushing that number skyward. If he can hit even a league-average mark (roughly 36 percent last year), the results will be obvious and immediate. More respect for his perimeter shot would mean more blow-by chances and more space down low for teammates to do work. It’d probably mean more all-star votes, too, but that’s a discussion for November at the earliest.

2012–13 stats: 18.1 Pts/G, 3.9 Reb/G, 2.5 Ast/G, 44.5 FG%, 28.3 3P%, 36.7 Min/G

For a more in depth look at DeRozan, check out Dave Zarum’s piece “In His Court”

***

D.J Augustin, No. 14, Guard

Raptors’ backup point man D.J. Augustin spent his summer ripping around on four-wheelers and rewatching The Wire

With miles of open bench behind Kyle Lowry heading into the off-season, it’s hard to look at this summer’s acquisition of point guard D.J. Augustin as anything other than a solid, low-risk move by the Raptors’ new brass. A former starter (and a player who put up 14.4 points and 6.1 assists a night for the Bobcats as recently as 2010–11), Augustin brings at least half of the key combination of toughness and shooting prized by coach Dwane Casey—and he does it on a one-year, $1.2-million deal.

Yes, Augustin had a rough year in Indiana last season, shooting 35 percent from the floor in 16.1 minutes a night and disappearing on defence. But prior to that season with the Pacers, the former No. 9 pick had shown encouraging signs of development in Charlotte—improving his distribution skills (from 4.7 assists per 36 minutes in 2009–10 to 7.8 in 2011–12), without sacrificing the deep-shooting threat at the core of his game.

Will he compete with Lowry for starter’s minutes? No. He may even have a fight on his hands keeping the No. 2 spot safe from Dwight Buycks. But Augustin brings some bench depth and hunger, helps stretch the floor and is most definitely in the mood for a fresh start. Here’s hoping he gets it.

2012-13 Stats (w/Indiana): 4.7 Pts/G, 2.2 Ast/G, 1.2 Reb/G, 0.4 Stl/G, 35 FG%, 35.3 3P%, 16.1 Min/G

***

Austin Daye, No. 5, Forward

Raptors’ forward Austin Daye sits down with Sportsnet.ca to reminisce about his second grade Halloween costume.

When the Raptors signed free-agent forward Austin Daye in July, the move wasn’t meant to be transformative. Daye’s two-year, $2-million deal came with a team option allowing Toronto to cut him loose after the season. So, he brings length and shooting off the bench at a reasonable price with no long-term commitment. Pretty simple.

But, for Daye, this season could be a crucial one. Drafted out of Gonzaga by the Pistons with the No. 15 pick in 2009, the six-foot-11, 200-lb. forward has always been seen as a bit of a disappointment. Like many a rail-thin big man with a jumper before him, the line on Daye early in his career was that he was 20 or 30 pounds of muscle away from becoming the next Kevin Garnett. The muscle never arrived and neither did the defence (apart from solid-if-foul-prone shot-blocking) or the ability to drive the lane. Instead, Daye settled into the role of spot-shooting stretch four.

In 2011–12, it looked like even Daye’s stroke couldn’t be counted on. He hit just 21 percent from behind the arc for the season and didn’t seem long for the NBA. But the beginning of 2012–13 saw him rebound to shoot 52.5 percent on deep balls in 24 games with Detroit before heading to Memphis as part of the trade that brought Rudy Gay to Toronto. Daye finished the season with a true shooting percentage of 55.4, up 16 points from his disastrous 2011–12, and got to taste the playoffs for the first time as (a small) part of the Grizzlies’ run to the Western Conference Finals.

If the Raptors have landed the Daye who showed up to start last season, he’ll become a key contributor off the bench. If it’s the Daye of 2011–12, he won’t see much court time and will likely be looking for work at season’s end. Either way, it’s all on one man’s rail-thin shoulders.

2012-13 Stats (w/ Detroit and Memphis): 4.5 Pts/G, 2.2 Reb/G, 0.8 Ast/G, 43.3 FG%, 41.8 3P%, 12.3 Min/G

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Kyle Lowry, No. 7, Guard

Raptors’ starting point guard Kyle Lowry sings the praises of Allen Iverson, Chauncey Billups and this old dude at the playground back home who just makes shots.

This time last year, it wasn’t clear whether Kyle Lowry would be able to wrangle full-time starting duties away from fan favourite Jose Calderon.

Now? Calderon is embarking on his first full NBA season in another uniform. And in Toronto, the Raptors are going to be relying heavily on Lowry in his second year with the club.

Which is how Lowry prefers it. Never one to shy away from pressure or challenges—a trait shared by most Philly-bred guards—the six-foot-three point man will have a major impact on the Raptors’ chances of returning to the postseason.

On his third franchise in seven years, Lowry has yet to establish himself as a bona fide top-10 player at his position. But he has undoubtedly earned his place as a starter in this league and does possess qualities that separate him from most NBA point guards. Specifically, he excels at getting into the lane and using his frame to establish and hold position down low, which also helps in snagging rebounds. His 4.7 rebounds per game last season were a career high, and good for fourth on the team.

But like always, it seems, Lowry—who is in the final year of his contract—is again out to prove himself. To prove that he can be a top-10 point guard, that he deserved to get the nod over Calderon, and that he should be the Raptors starting point guard, now and in the future. To prove he doesn’t have anything to prove.

2012-13 Stats: 11.6 Pts/G, 6.4 Ast/G, 4.7 Reb/G, 1.4 Stl/G, 40.1 FG%, 36.3 3P%, 29.7 Min/G

***

Steve Novak, No. 16, Forward

Newly acquired Raptors sharpshooter Steve Novak uses his time in front of the wall to lie about how many push-ups he can do in a row.

Steve Novak started his career in Houston, has played full seasons for the Clippers in La-La Land and the Knicks in the Big Apple, and this year he suits up for the first time in Toronto. But this story starts in Milwaukee. And with an anecdote about Dwyane Wade.

When Wade stepped to the free-throw line during a game against the Bucks one night in the ’09–10 season, the all-world guard heard the crowd chanting something. The chant? “No-vak’s bett-er.”

The two players aren’t linked by position, style, reputation or number of titles. They’re linked because they played together at Marquette for one year in 2002–03, a season in which they went to the Final Four. And while the chant may be a bit of a playful exaggeration in terms of all-around game, it’s certainly correct in at least one context: Novak is Wade’s easy superior when it comes to three-point shooting, and that fact is far beyond debate.

Novak is a career 43-percent three-point shooter and as recently as the 2011–12 season he led the league with a sizzling 47-percent clip from beyond the arc. And that’s precisely why GM Masai Ujiri brought him over from New York in this summer’s long-awaited Andrea Bargnani trade.

The Raptors were shaky from three-point land last season, and downright awful from the corners (they were dead last in the league from the right corner at 31.02 percent). Spotting Novak up on the arc on the team’s second unit will bump each of those numbers up. And he’s not going to move far out of his comfort zone either, putting the ball on the floor or forcing shots in traffic. For his career, he’s taken 77 percent of his shots from deep.

So, sure, Wade is very good. But in one sense very applicable to the Raptors and this coming season, Novak is better. When it comes to shooting from long range, he’s just about as good as it gets.

2012–13 stats (w/New York): 6.6 Pts/G, 1.9 Reb/G, 1.8 3P/G, 42.5 3P%, 20.3 MIN/G

***

Quincy Acy, No. 4, Forward

Big-bearded Raptors forward Quincy Acy sits down with sportsnet.ca to profess his love for the never-ending comedy of Martin

There’s no way to get around the fact that Quincy Acy didn’t see too much of the floor last season. An undersized four competing for minutes in a crowded frontcourt rotation, Acy got the short end of the stick—11.8 minutes per in 29 appearances. As a result, his measurables are a bit misleading: Acy put up the Raptors’ best field-goal percentage (56 percent) and his on/off splits suggest that the team was 15.2 points better per 100 possessions with him on the floor, but his sample sizes are microscopic and he got most of his run in blowouts and garbage time.

A few numbers provide interesting hints at the Baylor product’s pro potential—he’s a solid rebounder (pulling down 8.1 boards per 36 minutes) and his 81.6-percent mark from the free-throw line is a sign of excellent shooting mechanics—but to see Acy’s real value, it’s best to turn to qualities that are a bit harder to measure.

The 37th-overall pick in the 2012 draft, Acy is, frankly, a freakish physical specimen. His wingspan measures nearly seven-foot-three (the man himself is six-foot-seven), and in layup lines he routinely displays bounce that would allow him to braid his beard into the netting in mid-air, if that weren’t such an obviously terrible idea. He also showed toughness and true grit in the paint last season, qualities Toronto coaches and executives have been talking up all summer as key to the culture they hope to instill in the organization (see: Hansbrough, Tyler).

Most importantly, though, Acy brings the hunger and adaptability of a second-rounder hoping to stick in the NBA. Trying to bring some ferocity to the team’s perimeter D, Toronto’s coaching staff played with the idea of moving him to small forward in the off-season. Though he’d never played the position before, Acy took to the challenge with alacrity.

“I just think they see my athleticism, my tools,” he said. “They see it in me and they want to see if I will commit to it and I’m up for that. I have been working real hard on my lateral movement, my conditioning.”

The Raptors don’t exactly lack for bodies at the three, either, so minutes will still be hard to come by. One thing’s certain, though—Acy’s up for the challenge.

2012–13 Stats: 4 Pts/G, 2.7 Reb/G, O.5 Blk/G, 0.4 Stl/G, 56 FG%, 11.8 MIN/G

***

Rudy Gay, No. 22, Forward

With his back to the wall, sweet-shooting swingman Rudy Gay claims he shoots 42 percent on the half-court hook shot.

Rudy Gay is a franchise player—at least in the opinions of GMs Chris Wallace (who gave him a five-year, $82-million extension in 2010) and Bryan Colangelo (who sacrificed cap space and traded Ed Davis and Jose Calderon to bring him to the Raptors). But can Rudy Gay carry a team to the playoffs? That’s the question he’s out to answer in his first full campaign with the Toronto Raptors.

There are undeniable truths about the small forward: he’s an exceptional athlete and an elite scorer, advanced stats be damned. He is also at the centre of more criticism and analysis than anyone he plays with ($82 million will do that). Was the Gay trade a last-ditch panic move by a GM who could foresee his run in Toronto coming to an abrupt end? Or is the Gay we saw average 20 points and six boards as recently as two seasons ago and who established a reputation as a feared closer truly the most important piece in the Raps’ ever-evolving puzzle?

It’s hard to say. In Memphis, Gay was surrounded by more elite talent than he is in Toronto. Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol were double-team magnets, which certainly helped open up clean shot opportunities for Gay, a luxury doesn’t have with the Raptors. So, it’s easy to see why his adjustment to a new team wasn’t exactly life altering (even if Rudy couldn’t).

But take a look at the numbers and in a 33-game sample, Gay’s debut in T.O. was actually some of the best basketball he’s played in years: 19.5 ppg (on 42.5% shooting), 6.4 boards and 1.7 steals a game. You can expect the same from him statistically over a full season. Will it be enough to land the Raptors in the playoffs? The answer likely depends on who you ask.

2012-13 Stats (w/Toronto and Memphis): 18.2 Pts/G, 6.1 Reb/G, 2.7 Ast/G, 41.6 FG%, 32.3 3P%, 35.8 MIN/G

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Dwight Buycks, No. 13, Point Guard

Summer League standout and brand-new Raptor Dwight Buycks takes his place in front of the wall to talk about keeping it simple at breakfast.

First of all, it’s pronounced “Bikes.” Which opens up the very real and very awesome possibility that someone familiar with British and/or Australian slang will show up to the ACC this year with a sign reading “On your Buycks!”

Second, if all breaks right, you’ll remember the name Dwight Buycks for more than just its tricky pronunciation. As a 24-year-old rookie brought in this summer to provide scoring off the bench in the absence of guards John Lucas III and Alan Anderson, it’s unlikely Buycks becomes the point guard of the future in Toronto. Then again, his path to this point is already so unlikely. What’s one more step?

Undrafted out of Marquette in 2011, Buycks played 28 games for the Tulsa 66ers in the NBA D-League, scoring 15.1 points per on nearly 50 percent shooting. He also played 11 games in Belgium that year before signing with French Pro A team BCM Gravelines-Dunkerque in 2012–13. All he did in France was win league MVP.

Buycks then lit up Orlando Summer League in July as a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder before Toronto signed him away, and followed that feat up by leading Vegas Summer League with averages of 23 points and seven boards. When asked about his newest teammate, second-year two-guard Terrence Ross simply said, “He can do it all.”

With praise like that, it’s probably telling that new Raptors GM Masai Ujiri offered Buycks a two-year contract instead of an open-ended training-camp invite. So sure, call it a signing to fill out the roster. Just note that it doesn’t feel that way.

2012-13 stats (w/BCM Gravelines-Dunkerque): 18.0 PTS, 3.2 REB, 2.9 AST, 1.5 STL, 45.7 FG%, 38.4 3P%

***

Amir Johnson, No. 15, Forward

Raptors’ starting power forward Amir Johnson sits down with sportsnet.ca to talk about interacting with tigers and Rasheed Wallace’s two-ball jumper.

If you’ve seen Amir Johnson just before tip-off, hanging fully extended from the basket with his toes grazing the court, you already know the Raptors’ starting power forward is a lot longer than his officially listed height (six-foot-nine) would lead you to believe. And if you continued to watch Johnson after the opening tip, you probably also noticed that the Raptors are a better team with him on the floor. But I bet you didn’t realize just how much better.

With Johnson on the court last season, the Raptors scored 7.5 more points per 100 possessions and allowed 6.4 fewer—a net difference of +13.9. To put that astounding contribution in context: a 14-point shift in net rating more than covers the gap between last year’s No. 1-ranked Oklahoma City Thunder (+11) and the 21st-ranked Minnesota Timberwolves (-2.8). It’s the difference between a lottery pick and a playoff berth.

Last season saw another jump in Johnson’s minutes (to 28.7 per game), and there’s no reason to think he’ll get less run in 2013–14. A 41.7 percent shooter from the top of the key last year (per NBA.com), his midrange game pairs nicely with the strong spot-up shooting and post play of Jonas Valanciunas, and the pair is dominant on the defensive end (when they shared the floor, the Raptors defensive rating was better than Indiana’s league-leading mark). Johnson’s athleticism also makes him an exciting and effective finisher off the pick-and-roll, around the basket and especially in transition, where his 1.49 points per possession ranked him fifth in the league last season (per Synergy Sports).

Sure, he needs to foul less (he led the league with 301 personals in 2012-13) and get fouled more, but at 26 years old and with eight seasons in the rearview mirror Johnson is emerging as a truly game-changing player.

2012-13 Stats: 10 Pts/G, 7.5 Reb/G, 1.5 Ast/G, 1.4 Blk/G, 55.4% FG, 28.7 MIN/G

***

Aaron Gray, No. 34, Centre

Raptors’ backup big man Aaron Gray sits down with sportsnet.ca to stake his claim as the NBA’s grill master.

Aaron Gray is a consummate professional.

What’s that you say? Elaborate? It’s pretty simple, really: The 28-year-old seven-footer does everything that’s asked of him. Sure, that usually boils down to using his 270-pound frame to fill space in spot minutes off the bench, and needless to say Gray is quite effective at that (“that” = being big). But look closer and the University of Pittsburgh product, now entering his seventh season, has actually forged a nice career as a backup and should continue to provide value off the bench in 2013-14.

Offensively, he’ll give you garbage buckets around the basket and employ a surprisingly effective short hook shot within five feet, but defensively he’s proven to be a valuable post presence. Last season opponents shot a paltry 34.2 percent in the paint when guarded by Gray. What’s more, as his teammates and the Raps’ coaching staff will tell you, his work ethic and professionalism off the court are crucial assets, setting the tone and providing an example for young bigs like Jonas Valanciunas and Quincy Acy. So, while he’s not going to blow anyone away with his numbers and you’re not exactly building a franchise around the guy, Gray is a good player to have around; a consummate professional.

2012-13 Stats: 2.8 Pts/G, 3.2 Reb/G, O.8 Ast/G, 53.3% FG, 12.2 MIN/G

***

Dwane Casey, Head Coach

Raptors’ head coach Dwane Casey sits down with sportsnet.ca to talk H-O-R-S-E, Halloween costumes and much, much more.

Entering the last season of the contract he signed just hours after winning a championship with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011, Dwane Casey’s career with the Toronto Raptors is in the crosshairs—though it remains to be seen if his new boss is willing to pull the trigger.

When he first came to town preaching toughness, accountability and the defence-oriented approach that had brought him so much success in Dallas, Casey turned the Raptors from one of the worst ball-stopping teams in the NBA into an above-average operation. Though they eventually settled just below the middle of the pack (last season the Raps were 17th in points allowed and 18th in opp. FG%), Casey continued to preach toughness and effort, trying to coax it out of a group that wasn’t always up to the task.

This past summer, he watched as Bryan Colangelo, the man who hired him, was shipped out of town, replaced by new president and general manager Masai Ujiri. And though he’s been given the opportunity to once again prove his worth to the team, the end of the road may be in sight.

But spend some time around the defensive-minded coach and you get the feeling that he couldn’t be happier (at least compared to this same point in the last two seasons). And why not? Last year, the organization handed him an elite scorer in Rudy Gay, and then this summer Ujiri supplied some of the pieces Casey had been asking for since he arrived. Want toughness? How about Tyler Hansbrough? A shooter to stretch the floor? Meet Steve Novak. Sure, they’re not Ben Wallace and Ray Allen, but those pieces will help Casey coach the team toward his vision, and help him make his case on his terms.

At the end of the day, there’s only one measure by which Casey will be evaluated: wins and losses. If only life were always that simple.

What was Dwane Casey’s best Halloween costume ever? How many elephants did Amir Johnson ride this off-season? How many push-ups can Tyler Hansbrough do in a row? Every day until the season starts, staff writer Dave Zarum lines a Raptor up against a brick wall and asks them the tough questions.

***

Tyler Hansbrough, No. 50, Forward

Raptors push-up king Tyler Hansbrough fuels his half-court heaves with Pop Tarts

Watching at home, you may have missed it. Rudy Gay, working in isolation against Paul George on the near side, attracted most of the attention.

Catching a pass just inside the arc, Gay backed George toward the basket before making a hard move into the paint, curling around the Pacers’ small forward and drilling a tough jumper off his left foot. It was only after the shot fell that anyone fully registered the sight of Jonas Valanciunas writhing on the ground under the basket, holding his right hand in pain.

The replay clarified things. Guarded by Indiana’s Tyler Hansbrough on the weak side, Valanciunas initiated contact, battling for position as Gay rose to shoot. Taking exception to the young Lithuanian’s efforts, Hansbrough grabbed him under the armpit and, as Gay’s shot arced toward the net, hurled him to the floor—a dirty play, and one on which Valanciunas was injured.

It’s hard to imagine the player who threw the future of the franchise to the court becoming a fan favourite in Toronto. And yet, having signed Hansbrough to a two-year, $6.5-million deal, that’s exactly what the Raptors are hoping for from the hot-headed power forward.

Hansbrough is part of a low-cost, low-commitment effort by the front office to add some hard-nosed grit to the club. He plays a graceless brand of power basketball, his game low on athleticism but high on effort and brute strength. Unsurprisingly, he doesn’t exactly set off fireworks on the offensive end. He gets blocked a lot and shot just 29 percent on all attempts taken between three and 23 feet from the bucket last season. But the effort pays off on D—particularly in the post—and really seems to get under opponents’ skin.

Raptors fans tend to develop a soft spot for tough, driven backups (think Reggie Evans or JYD). Playing major minutes off the bench behind Amir Johnson, Hansbrough projects as just such a player, but whether fans can hurl the past aside and appreciate him for his present remains to be seen. Just know this: Though his game won’t often be pretty, you won’t ever miss his effort.

2012–13 Stats (w/Indiana): 7 Pts/G, 4.6 Reb/G, 0.4 Ast/G, 0.2 Blk/G, 43.2 FG%, 16.9 Min/G

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Landry Fields, No. 2, Forward

With his back to the wall, Raptors’ small forward Landry Fields talks Bieber Fever and Fun Run, which is like Mario Kart… but not.

It’s safe to say that the nerve issue in Landry Fields’ right elbow (which in turn led to problems in his hand) severely limited the swingman in the 51 games he played in his first year in Toronto. After signing a lucrative three-year contract, much was expected from the 25-year old. After all, Fields showed tremendous promise in his first two NBA seasons with the New York Knicks, particularly his debut in which he averaged nearly 10 points and more than five rebounds per game while shooting 56 percent on twos and 39 percent on threes in 81 starts. Raptors fans expected something similar, but instead watched as Fields struggled to regain his shooting form and find a consistent role in Dwane Casey’s rotation. His numbers dropped considerably—across the board—and the Landry Fields fans had watched battle the Raps as a Knick seemed a distant memory.

But it’s a new season, and with it comes a shot at redemption for Fields and a chance to show the new guy in charge, Masai Ujiri, that he deserves to stick around for the long haul. Over a handful of pre-season games, Fields has seen his role expand and looks to finally be assuming the role of off-the-bench utility man that former-GM Bryan Colangelo envisioned for him when he was inked last summer.

Conveniently, that’s exactly what his team needs. Thin at the three spot, Fields’ versatile game and ability to help facilitate the offense should provide a boost for the Raptors second unit. That’s the hope, at least: That after a year marred by injury, Landry Fields will finally make his mark on the Raptors in 2013-14.

2012-13 Stats: 4.7 Pts/G, 4.1 Reb/G, 1.2 Ast/G, 45.7 FG%, 14.3 3P%, 20.3 Min/G

***

DeMar DeRozan, No. 10, Guard

Raptors’ star shooting guard DeMar DeRozan takes his place in front of the wall to rip on Amir Johnson’s wardrobe and talk about the incredibly specific amount of push-ups he can do in a row.

One of the maddening things about the Toronto Raptors in recent seasons has been their inability to avoid the “trap game.” They come off big wins (or at the very least close victories) against big teams only to drop one to a squad they should beat with their eyes closed. Even in a long 82-game season, this can’t happen. The ability of a team to go from the lottery to the playoffs is dependent on capitalizing on every opportunity, no matter how small.

Cue up some pre-season highlights of DeMar DeRozan. Bringing the ball across halfcourt against the Timberwolves on Oct. 9, Othyus Jeffers backpedalling in front of him, DeRozan runs the 28-year-old journeyman into an Amir Johnson screen, crosses him up, and then splits the flat-footed Pekovic-Love double-team for an easy layup. A couple nights later, a casual shot fake draws Knicks rookie Tim Hardaway Jr. in close enough for DeRozan to easily blow by him with a right-handed dribble on the way to the rack for an and-one dunk.

No, neither of these guys is Tony Allen. But for the Raptors to win, and DeRozan to take the next step towards outright NBA stardom, he needs to start making lesser players look bad on a regular basis, exploiting every mismatch at every opportunity—identifying weaknesses and attacking them relentlessly.

The way DeRozan plays will go a long way to determining how this Raptors team plays. Just 24, the Compton, Calif., native is already an upper-classman on this young Raptors squad—along with Amir Johnson he’s the longest-tenured player on the team.

In 2012–13, he put in his best season yet, posting career highs with 18.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game despite only a minor uptick in minutes from the year before. He also put up the highest free throw (83.1) and three-point percentages (28.3) of his career. But in that last number lies a rub. While a DeRozan personal best, it’s still low by league standards, and, in fact, was the worst mark in the NBA among shooting guards who took at least 100 three-point attempts.

In the first season of a four-year, $38-million contract, many will be waiting to see if DeRozan can keep pushing that number skyward. If he can hit even a league-average mark (roughly 36 percent last year), the results will be obvious and immediate. More respect for his perimeter shot would mean more blow-by chances and more space down low for teammates to do work. It’d probably mean more all-star votes, too, but that’s a discussion for November at the earliest.

2012–13 stats: 18.1 Pts/G, 3.9 Reb/G, 2.5 Ast/G, 44.5 FG%, 28.3 3P%, 36.7 Min/G

For a more in depth look at DeRozan, check out Dave Zarum’s piece “In His Court”

***

D.J Augustin, No. 14, Guard

Raptors’ backup point man D.J. Augustin spent his summer ripping around on four-wheelers and rewatching The Wire

With miles of open bench behind Kyle Lowry heading into the off-season, it’s hard to look at this summer’s acquisition of point guard D.J. Augustin as anything other than a solid, low-risk move by the Raptors’ new brass. A former starter (and a player who put up 14.4 points and 6.1 assists a night for the Bobcats as recently as 2010–11), Augustin brings at least half of the key combination of toughness and shooting prized by coach Dwane Casey—and he does it on a one-year, $1.2-million deal.

Yes, Augustin had a rough year in Indiana last season, shooting 35 percent from the floor in 16.1 minutes a night and disappearing on defence. But prior to that season with the Pacers, the former No. 9 pick had shown encouraging signs of development in Charlotte—improving his distribution skills (from 4.7 assists per 36 minutes in 2009–10 to 7.8 in 2011–12), without sacrificing the deep-shooting threat at the core of his game.

Will he compete with Lowry for starter’s minutes? No. He may even have a fight on his hands keeping the No. 2 spot safe from Dwight Buycks. But Augustin brings some bench depth and hunger, helps stretch the floor and is most definitely in the mood for a fresh start. Here’s hoping he gets it.

2012-13 Stats (w/Indiana): 4.7 Pts/G, 2.2 Ast/G, 1.2 Reb/G, 0.4 Stl/G, 35 FG%, 35.3 3P%, 16.1 Min/G

***

Austin Daye, No. 5, Forward

Raptors’ forward Austin Daye sits down with Sportsnet.ca to reminisce about his second grade Halloween costume.

When the Raptors signed free-agent forward Austin Daye in July, the move wasn’t meant to be transformative. Daye’s two-year, $2-million deal came with a team option allowing Toronto to cut him loose after the season. So, he brings length and shooting off the bench at a reasonable price with no long-term commitment. Pretty simple.

But, for Daye, this season could be a crucial one. Drafted out of Gonzaga by the Pistons with the No. 15 pick in 2009, the six-foot-11, 200-lb. forward has always been seen as a bit of a disappointment. Like many a rail-thin big man with a jumper before him, the line on Daye early in his career was that he was 20 or 30 pounds of muscle away from becoming the next Kevin Garnett. The muscle never arrived and neither did the defence (apart from solid-if-foul-prone shot-blocking) or the ability to drive the lane. Instead, Daye settled into the role of spot-shooting stretch four.

In 2011–12, it looked like even Daye’s stroke couldn’t be counted on. He hit just 21 percent from behind the arc for the season and didn’t seem long for the NBA. But the beginning of 2012–13 saw him rebound to shoot 52.5 percent on deep balls in 24 games with Detroit before heading to Memphis as part of the trade that brought Rudy Gay to Toronto. Daye finished the season with a true shooting percentage of 55.4, up 16 points from his disastrous 2011–12, and got to taste the playoffs for the first time as (a small) part of the Grizzlies’ run to the Western Conference Finals.

If the Raptors have landed the Daye who showed up to start last season, he’ll become a key contributor off the bench. If it’s the Daye of 2011–12, he won’t see much court time and will likely be looking for work at season’s end. Either way, it’s all on one man’s rail-thin shoulders.

2012-13 Stats (w/ Detroit and Memphis): 4.5 Pts/G, 2.2 Reb/G, 0.8 Ast/G, 43.3 FG%, 41.8 3P%, 12.3 Min/G

***

Kyle Lowry, No. 7, Guard

Raptors’ starting point guard Kyle Lowry sings the praises of Allen Iverson, Chauncey Billups and this old dude at the playground back home who just makes shots.

This time last year, it wasn’t clear whether Kyle Lowry would be able to wrangle full-time starting duties away from fan favourite Jose Calderon.

Now? Calderon is embarking on his first full NBA season in another uniform. And in Toronto, the Raptors are going to be relying heavily on Lowry in his second year with the club.

Which is how Lowry prefers it. Never one to shy away from pressure or challenges—a trait shared by most Philly-bred guards—the six-foot-three point man will have a major impact on the Raptors’ chances of returning to the postseason.

On his third franchise in seven years, Lowry has yet to establish himself as a bona fide top-10 player at his position. But he has undoubtedly earned his place as a starter in this league and does possess qualities that separate him from most NBA point guards. Specifically, he excels at getting into the lane and using his frame to establish and hold position down low, which also helps in snagging rebounds. His 4.7 rebounds per game last season were a career high, and good for fourth on the team.

But like always, it seems, Lowry—who is in the final year of his contract—is again out to prove himself. To prove that he can be a top-10 point guard, that he deserved to get the nod over Calderon, and that he should be the Raptors starting point guard, now and in the future. To prove he doesn’t have anything to prove.

2012-13 Stats: 11.6 Pts/G, 6.4 Ast/G, 4.7 Reb/G, 1.4 Stl/G, 40.1 FG%, 36.3 3P%, 29.7 Min/G

***

Steve Novak, No. 16, Forward

Newly acquired Raptors sharpshooter Steve Novak uses his time in front of the wall to lie about how many push-ups he can do in a row.

Steve Novak started his career in Houston, has played full seasons for the Clippers in La-La Land and the Knicks in the Big Apple, and this year he suits up for the first time in Toronto. But this story starts in Milwaukee. And with an anecdote about Dwyane Wade.

When Wade stepped to the free-throw line during a game against the Bucks one night in the ’09–10 season, the all-world guard heard the crowd chanting something. The chant? “No-vak’s bett-er.”

The two players aren’t linked by position, style, reputation or number of titles. They’re linked because they played together at Marquette for one year in 2002–03, a season in which they went to the Final Four. And while the chant may be a bit of a playful exaggeration in terms of all-around game, it’s certainly correct in at least one context: Novak is Wade’s easy superior when it comes to three-point shooting, and that fact is far beyond debate.

Novak is a career 43-percent three-point shooter and as recently as the 2011–12 season he led the league with a sizzling 47-percent clip from beyond the arc. And that’s precisely why GM Masai Ujiri brought him over from New York in this summer’s long-awaited Andrea Bargnani trade.

The Raptors were shaky from three-point land last season, and downright awful from the corners (they were dead last in the league from the right corner at 31.02 percent). Spotting Novak up on the arc on the team’s second unit will bump each of those numbers up. And he’s not going to move far out of his comfort zone either, putting the ball on the floor or forcing shots in traffic. For his career, he’s taken 77 percent of his shots from deep.

So, sure, Wade is very good. But in one sense very applicable to the Raptors and this coming season, Novak is better. When it comes to shooting from long range, he’s just about as good as it gets.

2012–13 stats (w/New York): 6.6 Pts/G, 1.9 Reb/G, 1.8 3P/G, 42.5 3P%, 20.3 MIN/G

***

Quincy Acy, No. 4, Forward

Big-bearded Raptors forward Quincy Acy sits down with sportsnet.ca to profess his love for the never-ending comedy of Martin

There’s no way to get around the fact that Quincy Acy didn’t see too much of the floor last season. An undersized four competing for minutes in a crowded frontcourt rotation, Acy got the short end of the stick—11.8 minutes per in 29 appearances. As a result, his measurables are a bit misleading: Acy put up the Raptors’ best field-goal percentage (56 percent) and his on/off splits suggest that the team was 15.2 points better per 100 possessions with him on the floor, but his sample sizes are microscopic and he got most of his run in blowouts and garbage time.

A few numbers provide interesting hints at the Baylor product’s pro potential—he’s a solid rebounder (pulling down 8.1 boards per 36 minutes) and his 81.6-percent mark from the free-throw line is a sign of excellent shooting mechanics—but to see Acy’s real value, it’s best to turn to qualities that are a bit harder to measure.

The 37th-overall pick in the 2012 draft, Acy is, frankly, a freakish physical specimen. His wingspan measures nearly seven-foot-three (the man himself is six-foot-seven), and in layup lines he routinely displays bounce that would allow him to braid his beard into the netting in mid-air, if that weren’t such an obviously terrible idea. He also showed toughness and true grit in the paint last season, qualities Toronto coaches and executives have been talking up all summer as key to the culture they hope to instill in the organization (see: Hansbrough, Tyler).

Most importantly, though, Acy brings the hunger and adaptability of a second-rounder hoping to stick in the NBA. Trying to bring some ferocity to the team’s perimeter D, Toronto’s coaching staff played with the idea of moving him to small forward in the off-season. Though he’d never played the position before, Acy took to the challenge with alacrity.

“I just think they see my athleticism, my tools,” he said. “They see it in me and they want to see if I will commit to it and I’m up for that. I have been working real hard on my lateral movement, my conditioning.”

The Raptors don’t exactly lack for bodies at the three, either, so minutes will still be hard to come by. One thing’s certain, though—Acy’s up for the challenge.

2012–13 Stats: 4 Pts/G, 2.7 Reb/G, O.5 Blk/G, 0.4 Stl/G, 56 FG%, 11.8 MIN/G

***

Rudy Gay, No. 22, Forward

With his back to the wall, sweet-shooting swingman Rudy Gay claims he shoots 42 percent on the half-court hook shot.

Rudy Gay is a franchise player—at least in the opinions of GMs Chris Wallace (who gave him a five-year, $82-million extension in 2010) and Bryan Colangelo (who sacrificed cap space and traded Ed Davis and Jose Calderon to bring him to the Raptors). But can Rudy Gay carry a team to the playoffs? That’s the question he’s out to answer in his first full campaign with the Toronto Raptors.

There are undeniable truths about the small forward: he’s an exceptional athlete and an elite scorer, advanced stats be damned. He is also at the centre of more criticism and analysis than anyone he plays with ($82 million will do that). Was the Gay trade a last-ditch panic move by a GM who could foresee his run in Toronto coming to an abrupt end? Or is the Gay we saw average 20 points and six boards as recently as two seasons ago and who established a reputation as a feared closer truly the most important piece in the Raps’ ever-evolving puzzle?

It’s hard to say. In Memphis, Gay was surrounded by more elite talent than he is in Toronto. Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol were double-team magnets, which certainly helped open up clean shot opportunities for Gay, a luxury doesn’t have with the Raptors. So, it’s easy to see why his adjustment to a new team wasn’t exactly life altering (even if Rudy couldn’t).

But take a look at the numbers and in a 33-game sample, Gay’s debut in T.O. was actually some of the best basketball he’s played in years: 19.5 ppg (on 42.5% shooting), 6.4 boards and 1.7 steals a game. You can expect the same from him statistically over a full season. Will it be enough to land the Raptors in the playoffs? The answer likely depends on who you ask.

2012-13 Stats (w/Toronto and Memphis): 18.2 Pts/G, 6.1 Reb/G, 2.7 Ast/G, 41.6 FG%, 32.3 3P%, 35.8 MIN/G

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Dwight Buycks, No. 13, Point Guard

Summer League standout and brand-new Raptor Dwight Buycks takes his place in front of the wall to talk about keeping it simple at breakfast.

First of all, it’s pronounced “Bikes.” Which opens up the very real and very awesome possibility that someone familiar with British and/or Australian slang will show up to the ACC this year with a sign reading “On your Buycks!”

Second, if all breaks right, you’ll remember the name Dwight Buycks for more than just its tricky pronunciation. As a 24-year-old rookie brought in this summer to provide scoring off the bench in the absence of guards John Lucas III and Alan Anderson, it’s unlikely Buycks becomes the point guard of the future in Toronto. Then again, his path to this point is already so unlikely. What’s one more step?

Undrafted out of Marquette in 2011, Buycks played 28 games for the Tulsa 66ers in the NBA D-League, scoring 15.1 points per on nearly 50 percent shooting. He also played 11 games in Belgium that year before signing with French Pro A team BCM Gravelines-Dunkerque in 2012–13. All he did in France was win league MVP.

Buycks then lit up Orlando Summer League in July as a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder before Toronto signed him away, and followed that feat up by leading Vegas Summer League with averages of 23 points and seven boards. When asked about his newest teammate, second-year two-guard Terrence Ross simply said, “He can do it all.”

With praise like that, it’s probably telling that new Raptors GM Masai Ujiri offered Buycks a two-year contract instead of an open-ended training-camp invite. So sure, call it a signing to fill out the roster. Just note that it doesn’t feel that way.

2012-13 stats (w/BCM Gravelines-Dunkerque): 18.0 PTS, 3.2 REB, 2.9 AST, 1.5 STL, 45.7 FG%, 38.4 3P%

***

Amir Johnson, No. 15, Forward

Raptors’ starting power forward Amir Johnson sits down with sportsnet.ca to talk about interacting with tigers and Rasheed Wallace’s two-ball jumper.

If you’ve seen Amir Johnson just before tip-off, hanging fully extended from the basket with his toes grazing the court, you already know the Raptors’ starting power forward is a lot longer than his officially listed height (six-foot-nine) would lead you to believe. And if you continued to watch Johnson after the opening tip, you probably also noticed that the Raptors are a better team with him on the floor. But I bet you didn’t realize just how much better.

With Johnson on the court last season, the Raptors scored 7.5 more points per 100 possessions and allowed 6.4 fewer—a net difference of +13.9. To put that astounding contribution in context: a 14-point shift in net rating more than covers the gap between last year’s No. 1-ranked Oklahoma City Thunder (+11) and the 21st-ranked Minnesota Timberwolves (-2.8). It’s the difference between a lottery pick and a playoff berth.

Last season saw another jump in Johnson’s minutes (to 28.7 per game), and there’s no reason to think he’ll get less run in 2013–14. A 41.7 percent shooter from the top of the key last year (per NBA.com), his midrange game pairs nicely with the strong spot-up shooting and post play of Jonas Valanciunas, and the pair is dominant on the defensive end (when they shared the floor, the Raptors defensive rating was better than Indiana’s league-leading mark). Johnson’s athleticism also makes him an exciting and effective finisher off the pick-and-roll, around the basket and especially in transition, where his 1.49 points per possession ranked him fifth in the league last season (per Synergy Sports).

Sure, he needs to foul less (he led the league with 301 personals in 2012-13) and get fouled more, but at 26 years old and with eight seasons in the rearview mirror Johnson is emerging as a truly game-changing player.

2012-13 Stats: 10 Pts/G, 7.5 Reb/G, 1.5 Ast/G, 1.4 Blk/G, 55.4% FG, 28.7 MIN/G

***

Aaron Gray, No. 34, Centre

Raptors’ backup big man Aaron Gray sits down with sportsnet.ca to stake his claim as the NBA’s grill master.

Aaron Gray is a consummate professional.

What’s that you say? Elaborate? It’s pretty simple, really: The 28-year-old seven-footer does everything that’s asked of him. Sure, that usually boils down to using his 270-pound frame to fill space in spot minutes off the bench, and needless to say Gray is quite effective at that (“that” = being big). But look closer and the University of Pittsburgh product, now entering his seventh season, has actually forged a nice career as a backup and should continue to provide value off the bench in 2013-14.

Offensively, he’ll give you garbage buckets around the basket and employ a surprisingly effective short hook shot within five feet, but defensively he’s proven to be a valuable post presence. Last season opponents shot a paltry 34.2 percent in the paint when guarded by Gray. What’s more, as his teammates and the Raps’ coaching staff will tell you, his work ethic and professionalism off the court are crucial assets, setting the tone and providing an example for young bigs like Jonas Valanciunas and Quincy Acy. So, while he’s not going to blow anyone away with his numbers and you’re not exactly building a franchise around the guy, Gray is a good player to have around; a consummate professional.

2012-13 Stats: 2.8 Pts/G, 3.2 Reb/G, O.8 Ast/G, 53.3% FG, 12.2 MIN/G

***

Dwane Casey, Head Coach

Raptors’ head coach Dwane Casey sits down with sportsnet.ca to talk H-O-R-S-E, Halloween costumes and much, much more.

Entering the last season of the contract he signed just hours after winning a championship with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011, Dwane Casey’s career with the Toronto Raptors is in the crosshairs—though it remains to be seen if his new boss is willing to pull the trigger.

When he first came to town preaching toughness, accountability and the defence-oriented approach that had brought him so much success in Dallas, Casey turned the Raptors from one of the worst ball-stopping teams in the NBA into an above-average operation. Though they eventually settled just below the middle of the pack (last season the Raps were 17th in points allowed and 18th in opp. FG%), Casey continued to preach toughness and effort, trying to coax it out of a group that wasn’t always up to the task.

This past summer, he watched as Bryan Colangelo, the man who hired him, was shipped out of town, replaced by new president and general manager Masai Ujiri. And though he’s been given the opportunity to once again prove his worth to the team, the end of the road may be in sight.

But spend some time around the defensive-minded coach and you get the feeling that he couldn’t be happier (at least compared to this same point in the last two seasons). And why not? Last year, the organization handed him an elite scorer in Rudy Gay, and then this summer Ujiri supplied some of the pieces Casey had been asking for since he arrived. Want toughness? How about Tyler Hansbrough? A shooter to stretch the floor? Meet Steve Novak. Sure, they’re not Ben Wallace and Ray Allen, but those pieces will help Casey coach the team toward his vision, and help him make his case on his terms.

At the end of the day, there’s only one measure by which Casey will be evaluated: wins and losses. If only life were always that simple.