With a mostly new roster, it would have been fair to think the Toronto Raptors would need time to gel this season.

Despite the changes, the Raptors are off to a 4-0 start for the first time in franchise history. They’ll be looking to make it five when they face one of the best teams in the Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night.

"I think it was the start that we needed," said Kyle Lowry after the Raptors fourth victory, a 102-91 road triumph over the Dallas Mavericks. “Either we could have a real good start or a tough start with pretty much 10 new guys. But I think we've done a good job of just staying focused with our principles."
 

Raptors First Four Games

Record  Home Away Leading Scorer
1-0 Raptors 106 Pacers 99 DeRozan 25
2-0 Celtics 103 Raptors 113 DeRozan 23
3-0 Raptors 106 Bucks 87 Valanciunas 19
4-0 Mavericks 91 Raptors 102 Lowry 27

A lot of new Raptors are making early season contributions, but it’s the new version of Lowry that is making the early season headlines.

Arriving for training camp with a slimmer more toned look, the starting point guard has averaged 19.8 points and eight assists to open the season.

The off-season work he put in the gym and on the court is expected to allow him to maintain his high level of play throughout the entire season.

Lowry suffered a back injury down the stretch and dealt with both hand and knee injuries before the season concluded.

One of the key new additions to the roster, DeMarre Carroll, has arrived as advertised, boosting the team’s perimeter defence, one of the places they were easily exploited last year.

Rautins: Carroll's defensive mentality sets tone for Raps

TSN Basketball analyst, Leo Rautins joins Mike Richards in the Morning to talk about the Raptors going 4-0 for the first time in history. He touches on DeMarre Carroll's value, bench scoring, and Luis Scola early influence.

“He sets a tone for the team with his defensive mentality,” TSN basketball analyst Leo Rautins said Wednesday on Mike Richards in the Morning.  “He’s not just a guy who defends, he’s a guy that loves to defend, he takes it personally.  When you have a guy like that, it’s contagious.”

“You have a guy that is not a liability offensively.  Often times you get a defender and he can’t shoot and can’t do other things that you need him to do. With Carroll, you have a guy that can knock down the three and plays exceptionally well without the basketball.”

His early numbers paint the same picture. Carroll is averaging 13 points per game and shooting 37 per cent from beyond the arc, while also grabbing 5.3 boards a game.

Embedded ImageAnother key early contributor has been new addition Luis Scola, a 35-year-old veteran playing on his fourth team since breaking into the league with the Houston Rockets in 2007-08.

Combined with the amount that he’s played internationally with Argentina, there is some worry that he could break down before the end of the season. He has surpassed the 80 games played mark three straight seasons and Rautins is not concerned about the workload getting to him during his first year in Toronto.

“He does an amazing job of taking care of his body and barring any type of injury, he’ll get through the season,” said Rautins. “He can score, he can defend, he can rebound, he can get you hustle plays, he plays with and without the ball, he’s a great locker room guy.”

In 31 minutes against the Mavericks, Scola provided 19 points and 12 rebounds for his first double-double since joining the Raptors. He has averaged nine boards a game so far this season.

Embedded ImageDeMar DeRozan is no mystery to Raptors fans and he is out of the gate with the hot hand, averaging 20.8 points per game, including a season-high 25-point game in the season-opening victory over the Indiana Pacers.

After the first victory, DeRozan said his confidence had grown.

"I could miss 100 in a row and if it comes down to a last shot all those guys trust me to take it," said DeRozan. "I'm still confident like I've made 100 in a row taking that last shot. I've grown when it comes to situations like that feeling more comfortable."

The other big, early season move the Raptors made was extending the contract of Terrence Ross just before the deadline, locking him up to a deal worth roughly $33 million over three years.

Counting on both a salary cap and talent increase from the league and player respectively, the Raptors are betting on their 2012 eighth-overall pick to be a huge contributor.

"Terrence has shown growth with each season," general manager Masai Ujiri said in a statement after the signing. “"We are excited that he will be part of what we are building in Toronto.”

Rautins believes he can contribute this season and help the Raptors continue to build on their hot start.

“This is his year, he just got the big contract and this is a great opportunity for him to step up and play at a high level off the bench,” said Rautins.  “I believe that he’s going to respond to the challenge.”