Toronto Raptors: Lessons from the First Half of the Preseason

For the first time in years, analysts believe that the Toronto Raptors camp has started with stability. 

Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan lead the group of returning stars, Greivis Vasquez, Patrick Patterson and the revitalized bench is still intact, and Dwane Casey's coaching staff is unchanged.

But don't let that fool you. The Raptors preseason is filled with intrigue.

Where will the newly acquired Lou Williams fit in to the Toronto Raptors rotation? 

Can the Raps maintain last year's stingy defensive play?

Who will secure the final roster spot—Will Cherry, Jordan Hamilton, or Greg Stiemsma?

Let's take a look at what we have learned about these Raptors as they move towards the beginning of the 2014-15 NBA season.

Lou Williams: The Leader of the Bench

The Toronto Raptors acquired Williams and Lucas Nogueira in the offseason deal that sent John Salmons (and his expiring contract) to the Atlanta Hawks. 

Lou Williams suffered through an awful season last year, as he worked his way back from offseason knee surgery. He shot only 40 percent from the floor and scored a career-low 10.4 points per game.

With his role as a Hawk uncertain, Williams was excited for the move to the Raptors. 

As per Alex Kennedy at BasketballInsiders.com, Lou Williams said:

"

I’m excited to get in the gym with these guys. I’m excited to build with them. I always like competing with guys that love competing. Based off of talking to DeMar, Kyle and Amir, they want to win and they feel like guys don’t take them seriously. So I’m excited to get it started.

"

Though his preseason started slowly, Williams started as Kyle Lowry sat on Monday night. Williams dropped 21 points on the New York Knicks.

If Lou Williams can continue to define a prominent bench role, he and Greivis Vasquez will form a dynamic duo coming off the bench to keep starters Lowry and DeMar DeRozan fresh throughout the season.

This is exciting for Toronto Raptors fans.

Raptors Defense Still on Summer Holidays

Sure, it's just the preseason. Teams aren't starting regular-season rosters. No one is watching the standings. 

But don't tell that to Toronto Raptors head coach Dwane Casey, who has openly lamented the state of his team's defensive intensity.

As Ryan Wolstat for the Toronto Sun reported, Casey said:

"

We’re not anywhere near the defensive intensity we need. We need a better focus, a better interest in playing defence and I don’t see that as a team...I don’t expect us to be in February form, but we have to get out of the summer league, summer-time, one-on-one, no-interest-in-playing-defence mindset.

"

Maybe Casey sounds like an old grouch nagging his young stars about defense in games that don't count. 

More likely, it's Casey's intensity regarding attention to detail that has helped propel this young team to the top of the list of Eastern Conference contenders.

The Raptors players would be wise to heed their coach's advice before the games are for real.

The Final Roster Spot: Cherry, Hamilton, or Stiemsma?

As the preseason wears on, there is only one true roster battle for the Toronto Raptors. With 17 players in camp, the Raps will need to cut two players to satisfy the roster limit. 

Point guard Will Cherry has had a yawn-inspiring camp, posting per-game averages of 12.9 minutes, a 1.67/1.33 assists-to-turnovers ratio, and 3.67 points.

With Lowry, Vasquez and Williams ahead of him, Cherry's chances are slim.

Forward Jordan Hamilton has averaged 9.75 points in approximately 16 MPG, which is a solid rate.

However, Hamilton plays at a postition of strength for the Toronto Raptors. With DeMar DeRozan, Terrence Ross, James Johnson and others playing in the same spot, Hamilton will need to be spectacular throughout the rest of camp to earn a bench spot with this team.

Don't count on it.

Finally, center Greg Stiemsma seems to suit an organizational need. Averaging 1.25 block per game throughout his career, "Steamer" would help the Raptors who do not have a true shot-blocker.

Stiemsma has been sluggish throughout camp, but Jonas Valanciunas is the Toronto Raptors' only true center. 

The smart money is on Stiemsma earning the last bench spot, though the remaining games in training camp will help Masai Ujiri in selecting which of these players will remain with the club.

Looking Forward

Partway through the preseason schedule, the Toronto Raptors are fitting an important new piece into their rotation, searching for defensive intensity and deciding on a key bench reserve player to provide the depth needed for a playoff run.

Maybe camp isn't quite as stable or meaningless as some analysts think.