Toronto's roster finally looks settled on paper, and the last unsettled parts will get answered on the practice floor.
Training camp is almost here, and the Toronto Raptors still have real decisions to make before the season arrives.
The big work of the offseason is done.
The trade that brought forward Kawhi Leonard back to Toronto was completed this month, the top of the rotation sounds set, and the franchise has spent the last week handling small roster business while it waits for the gym doors to open.
The interesting part is what remains unsettled, because the answers will shape how this team actually plays.
Three questions stand above the rest as camp begins.
Who Closes Games Around the Stars
The likeliest first five feels easy to guess, with Leonard, forward Scottie Barnes, guard RJ Barrett, guard Immanuel Quickley and center Jakob Poeltl carrying the biggest names.
The harder question is who finishes close games, because a closing group usually runs smaller and camp is where a coach learns which reserve he trusts.
Guard Jamal Shead is one obvious candidate for a bigger late-game role, and Barnes has defensive believers around the league who think he can anchor a smaller finishing unit.
Nothing sorts that out except live reps, and the staff will be watching those five-man groups from the first scrimmage.
The teams that win close games in the spring usually settle this early in the fall, so the answer will say a lot about how far the Raptors believe they can go.
Where the Wing Minutes Go
The Leonard deal came with a cost on the wing, because guard Gradey Dick went to Los Angeles in the trade along with forward Brandon Ingram, and his old minutes are sitting there for someone younger to take.
Guard Ja'Kobe Walter, forward Jamison Battle and guard Andre Jackson Jr. all have a case, and forward Collin Murray-Boyles has breakout believers heading into his second season.
The smart bet is that no one wins those minutes outright in October.
Leonard's age alone means the wing behind him has to be deep rather than settled, and the competition should stretch deep into the season.
Who Backs Up Poeltl in the Middle
Poeltl figures to anchor the middle again, and the depth chart behind him is the least proven part of the roster.
Forward Trayce Jackson-Davis and 7-footer Nate Bittle are the in-house options, center Trey Jemison sits on a two-way deal, and veteran forward Kyle Anderson can fake the position in small stretches.
None of those names guarantees anything, which is exactly why the backup center battle might be the most honest competition in camp.
A team with real playoff hopes cannot lose ten minutes a night at one position, and Toronto has to find out early whether the answer is already in the building.
The schedule is already out, and the franchise has waited months for the basketball part to start.
By the middle of October the Raptors should know who closes, who fills the wing rotation, and who protects the rim when Poeltl sits, and the rest of the East will be watching for those same answers.
