Projected roster for opening day
BRUNO CABOCLO
Forward 6-11, 205 pounds 21years old, 3rd season Brazil Last year: 0.5 points, 0.2 assists, 0.3 rebounds, 7.2 minutes per game
Role: Grow, develop, build, strengthen, etc. Caboclo’s third season in the NBA stands to be much like last year. He’ll be a staple on the Raptors bench and a frequent figure in Mississauga, playing for Raptors 905.
DEMARRE CARROLL
Forward 6-8, 212 pounds 30 years old, 8th season Missouri Last year: 11 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.69 steals, 30.2 minutes per game
Role: Carroll returns for his second season in Toronto as the Raptors’ premier perimeter defender. He’s also hoping to put his knee issues behind him and to move past playing just 26 regular-season games last year.
DEMAR DEROZAN
Forward 6-7, 220 pounds 27 years old, 8th season USC Last year: 23.5 points, four assists, 4.5 rebounds, 35.9 minutes per game
Role: Coming into this season on a brand-new, five-year, $139-million deal, DeRozan’s role is simple: get buckets. His 23.5 points per game last year were a career-best, coming via an unflinching fearlessness to shoot the ball and Kobe-like footwork and pump fakes, which led to 8.4 free-throw attempts per game, another career best.
CORY JOSEPH
Point guard 6-3, 190 pounds 24 years old, 6th season Texas Last year: 8.5 points, 3.1 assists, 2.6 rebounds, 25.6 minutes per game
Role: Joseph showed himself to be the consummate backup point guard last year, his first in Toronto after spending the previous four in San Antonio. A tough defender capable of picking up shooting guards when necessary, Joseph was immediately comfortable in a high-stress playoff run for the Raptors in the spring.
KYLE LOWRY
Point guard 6-0, 205 pounds 30 years old, 11th season Villanova Last year: 21.2 points, 6.4 assists, 4.7 rebounds, 2.1 steals, 37 minutes per game Role: DeRozan edges him as the team’s leading scorer, but Lowry is the team’s motor on most nights, making big shots and hustling on both ends of the floor. His energy sets the tone for his teammates and he’s not afraid to hold them or anyone else around him accountable.
LUCAS NOGUEIRA
Centre 7-0, 220 pounds 24 years old, 3rd season Brazil Last year: 2.2 points, 1.6 rebounds, 0.4 blocks, 7.8 minutes per game Role: There are prized minutes to be had backing up Jonas Valanciunas this season and Nogueira is hoping to lock down the job. He’s a lanky centre and doesn’t bring the power or athleticism that Bismack Biyombo did last year, but if he can hit the boards and block shots consistently, Raptors fans will get to know Nogueira, (a.k.a. Bebe) well.
PATRICK PATTERSON
Power forward 6-9, 235 pounds 27 years old, 7th season Kentucky Last year: 6.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, 0.4 blocks, 25.6 minutes per game Role: While many clamoured for Patterson to start at power forward last year, he thrived in his bench role and will resume it this season. A good rebounder and an excellent defender in the post and on the wing, Patterson can quickly come down the floor and hit the three with ease. All are invaluable traits for a big man in the NBA.
JAKOB POELTL
Centre 7-0, 230 pounds 21years old, 1st season Utah Last year: 17.2 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1.6 blocks, 30.4 minutes per game Role: Poeltl will battle Nogueira for backup centre minutes while trying to learn to swim in the tough waters of the NBA. His minutes have been sparse in the pre-season and he could be a regular with Raptors 905 while he acclimates to the waters around him.
NORMAN POWELL
Shooting guard 6-4, 215 pounds 23 years old, 2nd season UCLA Last year: 5.6 points, one assist, 2.3 rebounds, 14.8 minutes per game Role: His numbers don’t overwhelm, but as he showed throughout his rookie season, Powell is capable of big minutes and big responsibilities. He was excellent in stretches when DeMarre Carroll was injured in the regular season, fitting in nicely on an offence that caters to DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry. Most important, he was an excellent perimeter defender well into the playoffs. The Raptors are hoping for that and more this season.
TERRENCE ROSS
Shooting guard 6-7, 195 pounds 25 years old, 5th season Washington Last year: 9.9 points, 0.8 assists, 2.5 rebounds, 23.9 minutes per game Role: If Ross could get two numbers in his stat line up consistently — he had 0.7 steals per game and 62 free throw attempts in 73 games last year — the Raptors coaching staff might grow giant heart emojis where their eyes currently sit. When his knee heals from a pre-season injury, the Raptors want defence and offensive aggressiveness from Ross.
PASCAL SIAKAM
Forward 6-9, 230 pounds 22 years old, 1st season New Mexico State Last year: 20.2 points, 1.7 assists, 11.6 rebounds, 34.6 minutes per game Role: Initially looked at as a potential backup centre, Siakam will start out the season looking to play a Pat Patterson-type role, defending mobile big men. Siakam brings a highenergy game to the court and fans will enjoy watching him looking for big, sweeping blocks on the defensive end and finishing strong at the basket at the offensive end of the floor.
JARED SULLINGER
Power forward 6-9, 260 pounds 24 years old, 5th season Ohio State Last year: 10.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, 0.6 blocks, 23.6 minutes per game Role: With Luis Scola moving on to Brooklyn, Sullinger will take the starting power forward job when the season gets underway, provided his sore foot improves by then. Sullinger was a solid presence in the paint for the Celtics, but Dwane Casey has said multiple times through training camp that Sullinger has the green light on three-point shots, particularly from the corner.
JONAS VALANCIUNAS
Centre 7-0, 255 pounds 24 years old, 5th season Lithuania Last year: 12.8 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1.3 blocks, 26 minutes per game Role: His growth has been incremental through his career, but Valanciunas is slowly growing into a very good traditional NBA centre. Valanciunas was dominant against the Pacers in the first round of the playoffs last year, and averaged a double-double before an ankle injury took him out of eight of the Raptors’ 20 playoff games. The growth is gradual, but the Raptors are patient and confident that Valanciunas will become an elite centre for them.
FRED VANVLEET
Point guard 6-0, 195 pounds 22 years old, 1st season Wichita State Last year: 12.2 points, 5.5 assists, 3.2 rebounds, 29 minutes per game Role: The door was opened for VanVleet when Delon Wright underwent shoulder surgery after a Summer League injury.
The opportunity presented isn’t glamorous — playing third fiddle behind Lowry and Joseph at point guard — but a gig in the NBA certainly is, especially for a player who went undrafted and could have been left exploring lower-playing pro options right now.
DELON WRIGHT
Point guard 6-5, 190 pounds 24 years old, 2nd season Utah Last year: 3.8 points, 1.1 assists, 1.4 rebounds, 8.5 minutes per game Role: The labral tear in Wright’s right shoulder had to be heartbreaking news, after he’d made the most of limited minutes and a few D-League appearances in his rookie year. If all heals as it should and he’s back in December, Wright will still be playing behind Lowry and Joseph, but his minutes could increase as a reflection of Casey’s trust in a young player who did everything asked of him in year one.