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Raptors at a Glance Coach: Lenny Wilkens Last Year: 42-40 (Stats) Key Additions: G Lindsey Hunter, F Chris Jefferies Key Losses: G Chris Childs, C Keon Clark, G Dell Curry, F Tracy Murray Projected Starters PG Alvin Williams SG Morris Peterson SF Vince Carter PF Jerome Williams C Antonio Davis Key Subs PG Lindsey Hunter SF Chris Jefferies PF Michael Bradley C Hakeem Olajuwon

By John Hollinger, CNNSI.com

The Raptors looked to be an up-and-coming franchise two years ago when they took Philadelphia to seven tough games before bowing out in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Last year they did nothing to support that impression. The Raptors struggled to generate points, Vince Carter suffered through a nightmare of a season, and the bench support dwindled sharply.

Carter looks to be healthy this season, but otherwise it's more of the same. The Raptors' roster is an emaciated shell of the team that battled the Sixers so hard in 2001. The basic structure is still there -- Carter, Antonio Davis, and Alvin and Jerome Williams -- but all the support is gone. Toronto's bench has been gutted by foolish moves (signing Hakeem Olajuwon) and cost-cutting (letting Keon Clark leave), and Lenny Wilkens will have his hands full just getting the club back to the playoffs.

Vince Carter, F -- In 2000-01, Vince Carter was "half man, half amazing," in the words of TNT's Kenny Smith. Last year, he was half asleep. Showing a disturbing unwillingness to take the ball to the basket, Carter constantly settled for long, contested jump shots. As a result, his numbers slumped badly across the board. The exclamation point came at the end of the year after he went on the injured list and the team responded by ripping off a long winning streak to make the playoffs.

This is a key year for Carter. The Raptors have lost enough surrounding talent that their playoff hopes depend on his playing at the exalted level of two years ago. The jumper's knee that so badly limited him last season should be better after a summer of rest, and Raptor fans can look forward to the return of the guy who torched the 76ers two years ago and jumped over Frederic Weis in Sydney.

Carter has to combine health with aggressiveness. His reliance on long jumpers last year killed the offense, and his passive defense has long been a concern north of the border. He's a great talent, but Toronto's still waiting for him to put it all together.

The Bench -- The Raptors arguably have the best starting five in the Eastern Conference. Unfortunately, there is absolutely no question that they have the worst bench.

Here's a scary thought: Lindsey Hunter shot 38 percent from the field and a nasty 50 percent from the line last season for the Lakers, and he is Toronto's best option coming off the pine. Untested kids Chris Jefferies and Michael Bradley pass for "depth" at the forward spots. Wilkens has a great track record working with young talent, but this is pushing it. Filling out the bench are a cast of about 43 retread centers with obscene contracts, led by Olajuwon and Eric Montross.

In sum, if the Raptors suffer an injury, they're dead meat, because nobody on the bench can fill the void. Wilkens will have to repeat the script he used with the late '90s Hawks, playing the starters 47.9 minutes a night and hoping they don't drop before the end of the season.

Are they a luxury tax casualty?

Last summer the Raptors pulled out all the stops to make sure Carter would ink an extension to stay in Toronto. That included paying above market value for Alvin and Jerome Williams, and paying Antonio Davis like the superstar that he clearly isn't.

They got Carter's name on the extension, but they may have robbed Peter to pay Paul. By overpaying three B-level producers, the Raptors find themselves pressed up against the luxury tax limit. That forced them to let Keon Clark leave without any compensation and is the reason they have been able to do nothing to upgrade their bench this offseason.

Looking back, it would have been in Carter's financial interests to sign an extension with Toronto anyway. If the team hadn't lavished such fat contracts on the supporting cast, it probably would be stronger right now. Davis and the two Williams need to step up their games this year and prove they were worth the money.

A few players short

Fast Facts • Toronto was the league's only team to post a winning record despite giving up more points than it allowed. • No Raptor with more than 100 attempts shot better than 49 percent last season. Golden State was the only other team without one.

Vince Carter is a super player, and the other four starters are all solid, which means that on paper the Raptors can match up with anybody in the Eastern Conference. However, counting on the starters to play 80 games apiece isn't realistic, and if any of them get hurt it's going to be swoon city. The bench is thinner than Lara Flynn Boyle, and the luxury tax limit means the Raptors have no chance of improving their lot without trading a key starter. It will be fun to watch a healthy Carter again, but scratching out a playoff berth is about this team's upper limit.