Raptors off to great start, find themselves in first place early: Canadian basketball notebook

A quick look at the Eastern Conference standings after two weeks and it doesn't take long to find the Toronto Raptors, right there at the top alone in first place.

Yes, it's early and the schedule has been relatively soft but following Sunday's 120-88 beatdown of the Philadelphia 76ers the Raptors improved to 6-1. It's the best start in franchise history and it's also the first time Toronto has ever been in first place this late into the regular season.

"It’s great for the fans. It’s great for the players to see that," head coach Dwane Casey said after beating Philadelphia on Sunday. "But it’s not the most important thing right now. The most important thing is developing a consistent personality."

It's clear they're deeper and more experienced this year as Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan are taking off where they left off in 2013-14 and the offseason additions of Lou Williams and James Johnson are already paying dividends. Even though the team hasn't looked all that sharp at times, a loss at Miami on the second night of a back-to-back remains the only blemish on the Raptors' record.

A bottom-10 defensive efficiency rating was cause for slight concern after five games but Toronto's defensive efficieny rating is now at 99.9 points per 100 possessions, which ranks 7th now and would have ranked 3rd last year, after two blowout wins where they held their opponents to 85 and 88 points.

However, the real early season tests are still to come. Chicago and Memphis will be in town during this extended homestand and the Raptors visit LeBron James and the Cavaliers on November 22.

The fun is just beginning.

CANADIAN BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK:

— "I understand why some fans are disappointed," Steve Nash wrote in a letter to fans that were upset that he was able to play golf and hike even though he has been sidelined for the entire 2014-15 season with nerve damage in his back. "This may be hard for people to understand unless you've played NBA basketball, but there is an incredible difference between this game and swinging a golf club, hiking, even hitting a tennis ball or playing basketball at the park," Nash continued. "I'm doing what I've always done which is share a bit of my off-court life in the same way everyone else does."

— Andrew Wiggins scored a career-high 17 points in Minnesota's 99-91 win over Brooklyn on Wednesday. Through his first six games he's averaging 9.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, and one assist per game. Wiggins received words of encouragement from Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade after the Heat beat the Timberwolves 102-92 on Saturday. "He said I’ve got all the tools to be great, just keep working," Wiggins told ESPN of his postgame exchange with Wade. "Already I'm thinking about what he said, and it’s going to carry through for a long time now."

— Kelly Olynyk had a great week for the Celtics putting up two double-doubles in three games as Boston went 2-1. Olynyk had 18 and 13 in a 110-107 loss to Toronto on Wednesday and then went for 18 and 11 in a 106-101 win over Chicago on Saturday.

— Cory Joseph matched a career-high with 18 points in San Antonio's 98-81 loss to Houston on Thursday as he continues to fill the Spurs' backing point guard while Patty Mills recovers from shoulder surgery.

— A sore knee has kept Anthony Bennett out of the Timberwolves' last two games. Before the injury Bennett was averaging just under 12 minutes per game scoring 6.2 points and grabbing 2.4 rebounds.

— Kentucky's Trey Lyles and Oregon's Dillon Brooks made their NCAA debuts. Lyles had 14 points and 17 points in two exhibition games while Brooks went for 17 in his second preseason contest with the Ducks.

— In CIS men's basketball No. 1 Carleton and No. 2 Ottawa are off to 2-0 starts. They both beat Brock and McMaster. No. 3 Ryerson is also 2-0 after wins over Waterloo and Laurier.

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