How will the Raptors go in 2013/14?

It’s the time for optimism for every Raptors fan, the team has a share of first place for the first time in a calendar year.  Not mentioning that they haven’t played a single game of the 2013/14 season yet, but all things are equal and there is a sense of cautious optimism that surrounds this club.

But some real questions still remain.

Will a full year having Rudy Gay in the line up bolster their record? How will a bulked up Jonas
Valanciunas fair? Is Kyle Lowry the real deal as a starting point guard? How long will it be before Toronto  falls completely in love with the hard-working Tyler Hansbrough?  Can Demar Derozan continue to develop into a serviceable scoring option?

And probably the most important question, should they even try to win this season or just throw in the towel, trade everyone for draft picks and take their best shot at drafting Vaughn On native Andrew Wiggins in next seasons entry draft?

Toronto basketball fans seem to be split almost exactly down the middle on this issue.  Sure it would be great to have Wiggins put on a Raptors jersey for Canada’s only NBA team, but as with anything there would be drawbacks.

In a best case scenario Wiggins will become an everyday star in his third year which would be the 2016/17 season.  That being said will an already long playoff deprived market wait another three years and support a club that has already lost a good number of its fan base?

I highly doubt it would be a franchise crippling choice but in the back end it would make the job of marketing the club in the interim a tall task.

Then there is the question of Head coach Dwayne Casey, who possibly has the most riding on the upcoming season.  Almost assuredly , lack of a playoff appearance this season would lead to his removal as head coach, meaning that even if “tank nation” wins the argument the man in charge on the floor would have a different agenda.

Whichever way the Raptors go this year it should be interesting, and needless to say 2013/14 will be looked upon as a franchise changing season.  It all begins tonight against the Boston Celtics at the ACC.