Just another road trip? Hardly.

Consider the Raptors' opponents for the next three games:

* The New Jersey Nets, who have the best record in the Eastern Conference.

* The Philadelphia 76ers, who are the defending Eastern champions and arguably the hottest team in the conference.

* And the Washington Wizards, who just happen to have a buzzer-beating specialist named Michael Jordan in the lineup.

Are the Raptors ready for the challenge?

Mentally? Yes. Physically? Hmmm ...

The Raptors had some more troubling news on the injury front yesterday. Forward Jerome (Junk Yard Dog) Williams is questionable for the game today against the Nets (12:30 p.m., Sportsnet, The Fan 590) because of a high right ankle sprain.

"If you're going to have injuries, this is the time to have them," said Raptors coach Lenny Wilkens, whose team has won three games in a row and sits third in the East with a 27-19 record. "You don't want to have them when you're struggling, because then you never get your head above water.

"I think our mental (state) is really good right now."