30 Teams in 30 Days: Toronto Raptors

Today's installment of our "30 Teams in 30 Days" series of previewing all 30 NBA teams takes us "North of the Border" to Toronto, where we will take a look at a young, talented Raptors team that is looking forward to pick up where they left off last season.

Last season's record: 48-34(1st in Atlantic Division/3rd in Eastern Conference; Lost to BKN 4-3 in Eastern Conference First Round)

Head Coach: Dwane Casey(6th season, 158-194 overall; 4th season with TOR)

Arena: Air Canada Centre(19,800)

Website: Raptors.com

When Dwane Casey arrived in Toronto a couple of seasons back, he had the task of taking over a struggling team and to turn them into a competitive team in the Eastern Conference down the road, and last season was no exception for a Raptors team that many thought wasn't good enough to make it into the playoffs this season.  Casey proved the critics wrong during his 3rd year in Toronto, guiding them to an Atlantic Division crown and locking down the third seed in the 2014 Eastern Conference playoffs thanks to a 48-34 mark.

The Raptors had a tough hill to climb in their first round match-up against the Brooklyn Nets, as Brooklyn would eventually knock out Toronto in the first round by winning the series 4-3, ending the Raptors surprising season.

The question that the Raptors are facing this season is: Can they pick up where they left off?  It is in the hands of a up and coming roster with DeMar DeRozan, Landry Fields, and Kyle Lowry, and other key acquisitions that would eventually give the Raptors a chance to somewhat have a better year in the 2014-15 campaign, if they want to finish what last season's team started and to take it one step further this year in Toronto.

Upcoming team previews in the "30 Teams in 30 Days" series:

Thursday: Boston Celtics
Friday: New York Knicks
Saturday: Brooklyn Nets
Sunday: Philadelphia 76ers
Monday: Washington Wizards
Tuesday: Charlotte Hornets