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TSN Raptors Reporter

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TSN's Toronto Raptors beat reporter Josh Lewenberg checks in with news and notes from practices and game-day shootarounds.

- With opening night still a couple days away, the Raptors have already hit their first major speed bump of the 2016-17 season. Expected starter Jared Sullinger is scheduled to undergo surgery on his left foot Monday — a procedure the team is calling preventative. A spectator for most of training camp, Sullinger suffered a setback working out before Toronto's final exhibition game in Washington on Thursday. After seeing a specialist in New York it was determined that surgery was the best course of action. Raptors president Masai Ujiri insists the ailment is a stress reaction and not a fracture and is unrelated to the injury he sustained on the same foot with the Celtics two years ago.

- The team has been given a rough timeline of two to three months for Sullinger's recovery, according to Ujiri, which means we're unlikely to see the power forward in a Raptors uniform until 2017. “He doesn’t have a Jones fracture, which is the one that everybody knows,” Ujiri said. “And I think that’s what they’re trying to prevent where it completely breaks and his is just a tiny stress reaction. There are ways to treat it. The couple ways are either the surgery or you leave it for a long time. I think through surgery, putting a screw in, I think it might be bone grafting. The doctor feels comfortable with some of the ones he’s done before like this.”

- The question is: What now? Ujiri is hopeful that they can address the hole in their front court rotation internally and doesn't plan on looking to add a player through trade or off the waiver wire. “We like continuity and I think we'll go with that,” he said. “You assess the team as we go but we're going to be very patient with it.” But with injuries come opportunity. Last year, DeMarre Carroll's extended absence led to the emergence of rookie Norman Powell and the team is hoping Sullinger's injury, and the additional playing time it opens up, helps expedite the growth of their young bigs. “I think we have to go back to the rookies and inexperienced players a little bit again,” Ujiri said. "That's the nature of the NBA. You don't cry about it. It's an opportunity and this is how you find players. From DeMarre's injuries last year came Norman Powell and we're hoping something comes out of this that will make us a stronger team when [Sullinger] returns."

- Dwane Casey said he hasn't decided whether he'll start Patrick Patterson or rookie Pascal Siakam in Wednesday's opener against Detroit, although he did call Patterson the leading candidate. “I like Pat coming off the bench but I also like experience in the game, too,” the head coach said. “So we’ll see. Pascal, I don’t think pressure bothers him. He’s an energetic kid. His spirit is a lot like [Bismack] Biyombo’s as far as his overall game spirit is concerned." Both forwards say they don't have a preference between starting and coming off the bench, for what it's worth. “Nothing changes man,” Siakam said. “I’m a rookie. I’m supposed to get the bags and everything. My life hasn’t changed a bit."

- Whether Siakam starts or not, the rookie will have a role in the regular rotation right out of the gate. The 22-year-old says he's ready and seems to have the confidence of his coaches and teammates coming off a strong training camp. He's anxiously awaiting his NBA debut on Wednesday. “It’s going to be huge,” he said. “Like I always say, it’s something that is bigger than me. It’s my family, it’s my dad that passed away. There’s so much. He really wanted this. I think opening night is going to be really important for me. I know I’m in the NBA now, but now it’s real.”

- Already undermanned in the front court, the Raptors could also be without Lucas Nogueira in the opener. Bebe didn't practice on Monday after turning his ankle against the Wizards on Friday. Casey said it's still swollen and sore. If he misses time it could open an opportunity for another rookie, Jakob Poeltl, who would step in as the backup centre.