The Toronto Raptors are playing so well, All-Star guard DeMar DeRozan doesn't care who's on the court alongside him.
"We could go out there and start you, and we could make it work," DeRozan joked to a reporter after Sunday's home win over Charlotte, Toronto's 11th win in 12 games.
The surge has given the Raptors (45-17) control of the Eastern Conference as Boston (44-20) continue to sputter and Cleveland (36-26) adjust to their reworked roster.
Toronto are on pace for the best record in franchise history.
Since entering the NBA in 1995, the Raptors have won four division titles but have never claimed the conference's best record - and the home-court advantage that comes with it. They are 26-5 at the Air Canada Centre, the NBA's best home mark.
"We're playing for something bigger than just now," said DeRozan, whose team was eliminated by Cleveland each of the last two years.
A deeper look backs up DeRozan's claim: The Raptors have displayed a remarkable killer instinct this season, posting a 39-1 record when they lead after three quarters. Their point differential of 8.6 is more than double any other East team and in the stratosphere of Houston (8.8) and Golden State (8.5).
"They're playing as well as anyone in our league at this point," Hornets All-Star guard Kemba Walker said. "They move the ball really well, they trust each other."
There have been obvious improvements over last season, such as the addition of three-point shooting from DeRozan and Lithuanian centre Jonas Valanciunas, whose inside-only game was becoming obsolete in today's pace-and-space league.
But the biggest boost has come from the bench, which aside from veteran marksman CJ Miles does not include any household names.
Youngsters Fred VanVleet, Delon Wright, Pascal Siakam of Cameroon and Jakob Poeltl of Austria all average between 6.8 and 8.2 points per game, giving the Raptors the most efficient bench in the league.
"We have a lot of guys that contribute," Miles said. "We have a whole five [off the bench], and that's hard to do in this league."
Washington Wizards coach Scott Brooks agreed, saying it "seems like every night, somebody steps up".
The Raptors have 11 players averaging at least 15 minutes per game. Most teams shorten their benches in the play-offs, extending starters' minutes while pushing some players out of the rotation.
But Raptors coach Dwane Casey believes a deep bench could translate into a deep post-season run.
"The goal is to find out," he said. "Why not? What is our record right now? So why change this, because some rulebook somewhere, if you find it, please send it to me."
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