Toronto Raptors By Rob Peterson, NBA.com HEAD COACH Lenny Wilkens, (Third year) 2001-02 RESULTS 42-40 (Seventh in East) SEASON OUTLOOK: Before last season, if you would have ever suggested that the Toronto Raptors would make the playoffs without Vince "Vin-sanity" Carter, you may have been labeled as temporarily "Vinsane." Yet, after what happened last year, you would have had the last maniacal laugh. On March 21, Carter took his balky knee to the sideline after the Raptors had lost 17 of 18 games, including 13 in a row. Without Carter, Toronto won 12 of its final 14 to squeak in as the seventh seed, where they took the Central Division champion Pistons to five games in the first round. Still, as much as the Raptors achieved without Carter, coach Lenny Wilkens doesn't want to try it again. "Certainly the team grew up some, they weathered all the injuries and when Vince wasn't there, they knew that they had to step up and play," Wilkens told the Canadian Press. "Now what they should be saying is, 'Boy, we can't wait to have Vince back in the lineup because he brings that much more to it.' "They have to be excited about it. I'm excited about it as a coach." Wilkens' eagerness could be tempered by the situation in the post. While Antonio Davis and Jerome Williams are one of the East's better one-two combinations at power forward, the Raptors are hurting in the pivot. The loss of Keon Clark to free agency left a hole in the middle and it looks like the brief Hakeem Olajuwon era in Canada, thanks to a chronically bad back, is over. "We're not waiting for [Hakeem's] decision, we're moving forward," general manager Glen Grunwald told the Toronto Sun on media day. "It was a gamble that I think we lost out on. I think he was a contributor last year and did pretty much what we had thought. "But it didn't turn out the way we had hoped, certainly. We had hoped for him to be here for a couple more years, but it doesn't look like that's going to be the case." Now that Olajuwon has left, who does that leave? Eric Montross hasn't averaged more than 20 minutes per game since the 1996-96 season and Mamadou N'diaye and Nate Huffman have eight games of NBA experience between them. Davis and Williams will need to help the youngsters grow up quickly. Recent acquisition Lamond Murray will also need to assert himself on offense just as quickly. While Morris Peterson (no relation to the author) made great strides on offense last season, Murray will be counted on to give the Raptors' another option on offense. "He's a guy that puts points on the board in a hurry, he can shoot the ball outside, he can get to the basket," Wilkens said of Murray on WayMoreSports.com. "I think it's a good trade for us." It was a good trade, but how well the Raptors do still rest on the shoulders of Carter, who feels last season taught him something. "It was tough, but it was a learning experience. It made me stronger mentally," Carter told ESPN the Magazine. "I feel like I did my first year, when no one knew who I was and everyone questioned why I was coming out." VIDEO FLASHBACK: GREAT CALL OF 2001-02 Vince Carter dunk: "Air Canada, soaring here in Motown. Sugar pie, honey bunch. You know we love you!" 56k | 300k WHO'S IN: Guard Lindsey Hunter and rookie forward Chris Jeffries arrive from the L.A. Lakers. Center Nate Huffman signed a free-agent contract. WHO'S OUT: Chris Childs signed to be Jason Kidd's backup in New Jersey and Clark will backup Vlade Divac in Sacramento. Tracy Murray, along with draft choice, Kareem Rush, were sent to the Lakers in a draft day trade. Michael Stewart went to Cleveland for Murray. BENCH: With the loss of Clark, weaker than it was last season, as Montross, N'diaye and Huffman are Olajuwon's backups. Murray should add some punch off the bench. Hunter started 47 games for the NBA champion Lakers, but averaged only 5.8 points per game, the lowest of his career. THE RAPTORS MAKE THE PLAYOFFS IF ... : Carter returns to form and they can find a live body -- any body -- to play center. THE RAPTORS MISS THE PLAYOFFS IF ... : This time if Carter is injured, there will be no playoffs.		A healthy Vince Carter hopes to help the Raptors soar once more. Glenn James/NBAE/Getty Images P R O J E C T E D   S T A R T E R S POS PLAYER SCHOOL YRS PG Alvin Williams Villanova 5 SG Vince Carter North Carolina 4 SF Morris Peterson Michigan St. 2 PF Jerome Williams Georgetown 6 C Antonio Davis Texas-El Paso 9 S C O U T ' S   T A K E “How is Vince Carter going to play? What kind of commitment is he willing to make to the team? … They'll miss Keon Clark. To lose an athletic guy like that and it's your lone post player? It may take them a while to recover from it. … Antonio Davis brings a veteran presence to that team. He's a classy player and he brings a work ethic to that team. … They need to find something in reserve, they need someone other than Carter to step up. Teams will focus on stopping him, running two, three or four guys at him. Dell Curry and Lindsey Hunter will need to help. Hopefully, Vince will be able to draw and kick than draw and force in order to find his shooters. Now, with Lamond Murray, that gives them another guy outside to spread the defense. It gives Vince a chance to get to the rim, where he wants to be. … Alvin Williams is a solid point guard. … Jerome Williams is their energizer, and one thing you get when you go to Toronto is a great crowd. That place is phenomenal. It could be the 57th game of the season, and that place gives you juice. No matter what the Raptors are doing, the fans are always there.” -- Eastern Conference assistant coach 2 0 0 1 - 0 2   L E A D E R S PPG Vince Carter 24.7 RPG Antonio Davis 9.6 APG Alvin Williams 5.7 SPG Alvin Williams 1.65 BPG Keon Clark 1.51 G A M E S   T O   W A T C H 10/30 Washington 7 ET, ESPN 11/22 at Philadelphia 8 ET, ESPN 11/29 at Boston 8 ET, ESPN 12/26 at Seattle 10 ET, TNT 1/1 at New York 7 ET, ESPN F A N T A S Y   S L E E P E R Lamond Murray - Forward The Raptors will need him to be the second offensive option. After leading the Cavs with 16.6 points per game last season, Murray, a good outside shooter, could benefit from Carter's drives-and-kicks. T H E   S T A T 9 Number of games in a row the Raptors won after Carter went down with a late-season knee injury, helping vault Toronto into the playoffs.
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