Calderon, Villanueva and Graham are the future of the Raptors.
Ron Turenne/NBAE/Getty Images

Toronto is the only team that has three rookies in its every day rotation. They each came to the NBA in a different manner. Joey Graham spent five years in college (he had to sit out a year after transferring from Central Florida to Oklahoma State). Charlie Villanueva entered the draft after just two years at UConn. Jose Calderon was a free agent who played professionally in Spain. They're each in the top 11 rookies in minutes per game. They have had their struggles early on, but they've won two straight and the future looks bright in Toronto.

We caught up with the Raptor rookies before their win in New Jersey Saturday night.

Rookie Report: Had you heard of Jose before he was signed?

Charlie Villanueva: No.
Joey Graham: Never heard of him. Never seen him.

RR: How about after he was signed?

JG: When he was signed, I was just asking a bunch of questions. I asked the people upstairs who he was, how tall he was and how he was as a person because I didn't know too much about him.

RR: Did you watch him at all in the European Championships this summer?

CV: I watched some of that. I also watched a little video clip of some of his highlights on our website when we signed him.
JG: I watched that too when we heard that he was coming aboard.

RR: Jose, had you seen these guys play before you came over?

Jose Calderon: No. In Europe, we can see some NBA games, but not college.

RR: Charlie, there was a lot of criticism at the draft when you were picked. Is that a source of motivation for you?

CV: I use it as motivation. It was supposed to be my big day, but people criticized me. All I can do is prove my critics wrong and make them liars. That's what I've been doing so far.

RR: The word was that you would lose focus or that you weren't as intense as you could be. Was there any truth to that?

CV: I don't know where people got that from. I went to a big-time program. You couldn't take it easy up in Connecticut. You're always being watched. I think two years under coach Calhoun got me prepared for this. Everything was earned over there. Nothing was given. I definitely learned how to work hard.

RR: Joey, you were projected to go a little higher than you did. Does it motivate you to face teams that passed on you, like tonight against the Nets?

JG: That's definitely a motivational tool as well. I look at these teams when I go out there and play like you guys missed out on a great opportunity to have a great player in the future. When I go out there, I just look at them, smile at the coaches and go about my business.

Villanueva got the game-winner in Atlanta. Scott Cunningham/NBAE/Getty Images

RR: Was Friday night in Atlanta your favorite moment so far?

CV: I'd say it was the first win (against Miami). That was big. We really need that one.
JC: Yeah, that was it.

RR: How did that last play in Atlanta come about?

JC: It was a pick and roll, Charlie was open, and I just passed him the ball.

RR: How big was it to hit the game-winning shot?

CV: It was big. The play was designed for me to set the pick and roll. Chris was going to flash up and I rolled. Two guys went with Jose, I was wide open and he gave me the ball in the right position.

RR: Jose, you've started the last couple of games. Is there a difference from coming off the bench for you?

JC: I think it's the same. You can help the team whether you're a starter or not. For me, it's the same. I only want to help the guys win. That's the most important thing. If we win, I'm happy.

RR: Now Joey, you were starting at the beginning of the season. Was that a surprise for you to be starting?

JG: It really was. It was a surprise. I didn't think I'd be put in that position as early as I was. It was a learning experience. I'm learning and trying to pick up new things every day. I think I'll get back there soon. It's just a matter of time before things change.

RR: Did coach Mitchell say anything to you when he took you out of the starting lineup?

JG: He pretty much told me that he kinda knew that he threw me into the fire. The first couple of games, I started off against LeBron, Paul Pierce, some of those guys. He didn't know how I was going to step up to the challenge and I thought I did all right. So he just wanted me to gradually work my way into becoming the person that's covering all those All-Stars. I think I did a good job.

Joey and Charlie are bringing energy off the bench. Fernando Medina/NBAE/Getty Images

RR: Charlie, how do you like coming off the bench?

CV: I think I give a good spark for the team offensively. I'm going to do whatever coach wants me to do. Whenever he calls my number, I'm going to be ready. My dream is to be in the NBA. I'm here and I'm enjoying every minute of it.

RR: You guys have given your team a lot of energy and you've been a part of a couple of impressive comebacks, but you've come up short in several games. Can you explain that?

JC: I don't know.
CV: I think we've lost nine games by eight points or less.
JC: Sometimes, it's bad luck. Sometimes, we've made mistakes. It seems like we've lost a lot of games in the last four minutes.
CV: I think we need to get better down the stretch. We've made a few mistakes here and there.
JG: We gotta play hard for the full 48 minutes. When I think about those games, we didn't play as a team in the first quarter in a couple of them.
CV: Then we're playing catch-up.
JG: Yeah, and it's hard to do that, especially as rookies coming in that high-intensity level, playing against that caliber of guys for 48 minutes. I think if we played 48 minutes in those couple of games, we would have got the win.

RR: Is it valid to say that you have the youthful energy to come back from a deficit, but that you also have the youthful inexperiece that keeps you from being able to execute down the stretch?

JG: You can look at it as being a youth thing, but we just want to go out there and just play and contribute as much as we can. What it really comes down to is a team effort. We can only do as much as we can as rookies. We do our part and everybody else has to chip in as well.

RR: The three of you came into the league in different ways. Charlie came in as an early entry, Joey spent five years in school, and Jose was a free agent who played professionally in Europe. Is there still a bond between you?

CV: Yeah, we're tired of one another. (Laughs) We have a good bond. Jose and I both speak Spanish so we get along real well.
JG: I speak un poquito.
CV: We're working on Joey's Spanish. We just gotta stick together. We get along real well on and off the court. I think we compliment each other real well.
JG: The thing with this group is that I think we are the future of the Raptors. I think if we keep this chemistry and this group together, then we'll have a great team.

RR: What has been the biggest adjustment?

JC: The back-to-back games and the flights. In Europe, we play twice a week.

RR: Are you tired?

JC: Not tired, but you play, then you fly...
JG: You're always moving. You're always in a new city, always on the bus, always on the plane. Just keep moving. That's the biggest adjustment for me.

RR: What do like about Toronto?

JG: Ha, not the weather.
CV: I don't have a problem with the weather. The best thing about Toronto? The fans, the city. A lot of people don't know Toronto. It's a beautiful city. The people are great.
JG: Real diverse.
JC: You can find a lot of Italian people, Greek people...

RR: How about Spanish people?

JC: Not too much. You can find Latin people and you can speak in Spanish, but not Spanish people.

In a point-heavy rookie class, Calderon is making his mark. Ron Turenne/NBAE/Getty Images

RR: Do you have family there?

JC: Yeah, my wife and her sister are there.

RR: What about you Joey?

JG: I'm dolo right now. I don't have anybody with me right now, but I'm pretty sure that my brother, when he finishes his Masters degree, he's gonna come up and stay with me. That's my older brother.

RR: How's your twin brother doing?

JG: He's in the CBA. He's doing good, averaging like 25 a game over there.

RR: How does he like the grind of the CBA?

JG: It's tough. He's been killing, but those guys are in there fighting. They're all thirsty. They want to get to the NBA, so it's tough.

RR: How about you Charlie? Do you have any family with you?

CV: Yeah, I've got my brother living with me. Just to look out for me and make sure I'm all right, like a parent.

RR: You're from Queens. Do you have a lot of family out here tonight (in New Jersey)?

CV: Yeah, a lot of people are actually coming.
JG: He got my tickets. I was shocked.
CV: I got my brother, sister, cousins, and I went to school out here too. Prep school. Blair Academy. So a lot of people from there are coming too.

RR: What was your reaction when you heard Oklahoma City was getting a team Joey?

JG: The first thing I thought was that there was nothing out there. Oklahoma is just a lot of land. What happened is unfortunate, but Oklahoma City is a good location. I think the Hornets being there is going to bring up Oklahoma City. A lot more people are going to want to go out there.

RR: Are you looking forward to playing there?

JG: I am. I got coaches and friends and a lot of people out there that want to come watch the game. Plus I know a couple of guys on the team. It's late in the season though.

RR: What about Orlando?

JG: Oh yeah. We just came back from Atlanta and I had about 20 people in the stands. Orlando's going to be pretty much the same.

RR: When you came into the league, what player were you most looking forward to playing against?

JG: We haven't played them yet, but Tracy McGrady and Kobe. Those two.
CV: You're gonna guard them too.
JG: I know. I'm looking forward to guarding those two guys.

RR: What about you Charlie?

CV: He's retired now, but it was Reggie Miller. He's one of the reasons why I wear No. 31. He's been my favorite player since I was a little kid and I loved watching him play against the Knicks too.

RR: Jose?

JC: It was special to play against Steve Nash and Iverson. Baron Davis is one of the best for me.