Raptors general manager Bryan Colangelo has acknowledged the perception that this season's edition of the team is the worst he's assembled.

"At some degree, it pains me to feel that this is the perception of this team, but at the same time it puts us in a position to prove people otherwise and it gives us something to play for," Colangelo told the Toronto Star.

"It gives a young, prideful, energetic and enthusiastic group something to shoot for. It's a fresh approach, much more so than a team that just expects to be good and goes out and doesn't play hard night in and night out. And it's more of a team that's ideally suited for Jay (head coach Triano) to continue to grow with as a coach.

"Already you can see a different approach from him, you can see a different approach and effect, positive effect, that that's had on the team and how this team plays together, how they like each other, how they're, again, more enthusiastic about the process. I think at the end of the day ? again, we were probably a team last year that I would argue was a 50-win team that missed the playoffs and underperformed ? this year we absolutely are a team that has lower expectations but will need to overperform to make the playoffs.

"Whether or not we make the playoffs is an unknown; again, there is no expectation. I would personally like to think that we are driving for that as a goal and I think that should be the goal each and every time we step on the floor."