The negativity stems from the fact that this franchise has been in existence for 17 years, and has finished with a winning record just 4 times.

If you've followed the team since '95, you witnessed some highs, but many, many more lows. And each of those lows were preceded by optimistic offseasons.

I can't speak for everyone, but I am willing to let the results speak for themselves. Could DeMar light it up this year? Could Jonas dominate the middle? Could Bargnani stay healthy? Could Lowry by a MIP candidate? Could Casey improve the defense AND offense?

The answer to all of these questions could be yes. But then again, when was the last time the stars aligned perfectly for the Raptors?