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TSN Raptors Reporter

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TORONTO - The Raptors go into the all-star break with more wins than ever before and while their first-half success has heightened external expectations, internally the organization's intentions remain the same.

Continue to let their young core grow individually and as a collective unit, which they have. Defend their Atlantic Division title, which they will. And advance into the second round of the playoffs, which they might.

With the NBA's Feb. 19 trade deadline approaching, it would be a surprise to see Masai Ujiri veer from that plan or mortgage their future to expedite the building process.

Ujiri has adopted a patient, tactical approach since taking over atop Toronto's front office, allowing his personnel - players, coaches - to determine their fate and team's general direction.

When Kyle Lowry broke out at this time last year, Ujiri pulled him off the block. When the perfect storm hit and the team came together both on and off the floor following the trade of Rudy Gay, he stuck with them through the deadline, recommitting to them during the offseason. 

Is he sold on them long-term? Maybe, maybe not. But all indication is he intends on giving this young group a chance to build on last spring's seven-game playoff series and first-round elimination before making a couple of big decisions on the roster this coming summer.

The players are under that same impression and believe they have all the pieces they need to take that next step now that they have that first postseason experience under their belt.

"I think so," DeMar DeRozan said last week. "But our job is to go out there and play and perform. We leave all that other stuff and question marks to whoever needs to fulfill them." 

"I feel like we do," Patrick Patterson agreed. "We basically still have the same pieces as last year and we're playing the way we're playing. We all have faith in each and every single one of these individuals on the basketball floor so I feel like we do have the pieces. We have the veteran-ship, we have the leadership, we have the role players, we have the all-stars, we have everything we need to be an elite team. So it's just all about the will, all about the want, all about doing it. We have everything we need to be successful."

That's the question Ujiri and his staff will ponder leading up to Thursday's deadline. Given their first-half success - a 36-17 record - and second-place standing in the wide open Eastern Conference, there's the temptation to go for it now. Fans will look at players they believe to be available - the Bulls' Taj Gibson, Denver's Kenneth Faried, and so on - imagining what they might add to the mix over the stretch run, but each one would come at a steep cost. Is it worth parting with draft picks or young assets, beginning with emerging 22-year-old centre Jonas Valanciunas? For Ujiri, the answer, more than likely, is no.

The Raptors have found chemistry, something that's almost impossible to measure or explain, something the organization values above all else, and messing with it at this stage could be risky.

"You look at past history where teams have been in a positive situation, they've been winning or maybe they've lost but they're in a great situation as far as standings go," Patterson said. "And they make a trade and next thing you know that trade messes up the chemistry and causes them to play horribly, have problems in the locker room, thus resulting in a horrible season after that and losing in the playoffs too early. If you look in the past this happened multiple times."

"The position we are in now, it's not by accident," DeRozan added. "It's the hard work and the talent and the guys that we've got here. Granted, we had a couple of injuries here and there, me being out, [James Johnson] missing a few games, but I think once we're back on our feet, we'll get back to how we were at the start of the season."

Toronto has a record of 24-8 with DeRozan in the lineup, 22-7 with their opening night starting lineup active. At minimum, eight players - DeRozan, Lowry, Valanciunas, Patterson, Amir Johnson, Lou Williams, Greivis Vasquez and Terrence Ross - should be safe through the deadline, barring an overwhelming offer. Despite Ross' poor season and recent move to the bench, he's too talented to simply give up on. 

If they can use any of the others - apart from intriguing rookie Bruno Caboclo - perhaps an expiring contract or two, to pick up a fourth big, upgrading their depth in the frontcourt with a long, athletic rim protector, that's something you would expect them to seriously consider.

But unless that opportunity presents itself or an offer jumps off the page, expect deadline day to come and go without much noise from the Raptors.

"We're still second in the East," DeRozan pointed out. "We're not a team fighting for the playoffs, in 10th place. If it happens, it happens, then we have to deal with it then, but I think we're not panicking or anything like that."