Anthony Bennett is hoping his third NBA season is when his career is revived now that he's joined his hometown Toronto Raptors.

"Lots of ups and downs," Bennett told Yahoo Sports prior to the Raptors preseason game against the Golden State Warriors. "There a couple [things] you got to avoid. There are also a lot of people you have to have in your circle, like family and friends, who tell you to keep your head up. That's pretty much what I've been going through."

Bennett's selection as the first overall pick came as a surprise to many.

"It was surprising," Raptors general manager Masai Ujiri told Yahoo Sports. "We didn't know if there was a clear-cut guy. It was a random draft a little bit."

Bennett was asked if he wishes he wasn't selected first overall due to the extra pressure and attention.

"I'm cool with it," he said. "Going No. 1 made history for Canada. For myself, it was a big accomplishment, but it's a lot of work."

"We look at giving Anthony an opportunity to actually grow and be a player," Ujiri said. "It's not a one-year thing here. It's going to take time. All that No. 1 pick and all that stuff, we had a conversation with him. Let's move on from that. Now it's about how you become a very good NBA player, which we all know he can be."