There is a feeling of unease hanging over the Toronto Raptors as a quarter of the NBA season has now come and gone.

It's a feeling that something just isn't right, that things aren't running as smoothly as they should be. And the biggest concern is that there might not be an answer for the problem readily available.

A team with such large aspirations - players said from training camp they were contenders for the Eastern Conference championship - is just bobbling along, playing okay one night, not-so-okay the next.

They've never lost more than two straight, never won more than three in a row; close your eyes and this group could be last year's maddeningly inconsistent team at the same point.