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The Toronto Raptors have four games left to play this season and at least four playoff games after that. And the man who put the roster together will be watching vary carefully.

Bryan Colangelo always does. But after an uneven regular season, the Raptors' president will be measuring, calculating and evaluating with the aim of making sure the club maintains an upward trajectory after flat-lining most of this seasonr.

"We're not only looking at the next several games and the battle for playoff position," Colangelo said in a lengthy and spontaneous exchange with reporters after practice yesterday as the Raptors prepared to play the New Jersey Nets tonight, while head coach Sam Mitchell was sick for the day. "We're looking at the draft, we're sizing up possible free agents, possible trade prospects. It's no different than any other day in the NBA, you're constantly looking to make adjustments to get better and grow.

"[But] are we disappointed? Yes, that's the safest way to say it, and we're going to make the necessary adjustments at the appropriate time."

Colangelo cited a number of well-worn explanations for the Raptors' inconsistency this season — significant injuries to Chris Bosh, T.J. Ford and Jorge Garbajosa and nagging woes that have affected Andrea Bargnani — but was optimistic the team that generated so much optimism after a 47-win season last year can still finish this year on a high note.

"We have arguably a more talented team than last year," Colangelo said. "We have, arguably, underutilized some of that talent to some extent at various points throughout the year and there have been some inconsistent performances. But these guys are here for a reason and they know what their roles are. They need to apply those talents. There is no reason why it can't come together. We have played well in stretches."

Perhaps the player who has been the most enigmatic this season has been Bargnani, the second year Italian whom Colangelo made the No. 1 pick in the 2006 draft, yet who has struggled after a promising rookie season.

His shooting woes aside — Bargnani is shooting just 39 per cent from the field and 36 per cent from behind the three-point line this season — Colangelo remains confident that the seven-footer will realize his considerable potential.

"He had a lot of things that were affecting him early, and there's stuff that's even affecting him now," Colangelo said, choosing not to elaborate. "Everyone wants to suddenly make him a bust, and I don't think that anybody in this organization is looking at him at all that way.

"Has he advanced like you would hope this year? No. I think we understand all the reasons and the things that have affected him, and I know what his mentality is and what his desire is, and we're still very confident that he's going to become a very, very valuable piece."

Colangelo hinted that whatever happens over the remainder of this season and the postseason, the summer will be an active one for him and likely a dynamic one for the roster. The Raptors have about $23-million (U.S.) in expiring contracts coming off the books after next season — assets that typically make deals easier to put together.

He's been on the record as being prepared to match any offer for point guard Jose Calderon, a restricted free agent, and about his desire to bring European point guard prospect Roko Ukic to the NBA. Given T.J. Ford's stated unwillingness to come off the bench in a platoon situation with Calderon, it would seem the point-guard situation will be different next season. Colangelo also acknowledged the need to add more ruggedness to a largely finesse-oriented roster.

But all of that will have to wait until the regular season is over and the playoffs are in the books.

"Last year, we were an inexperienced playoff team, perhaps we overachieved to some degree, we got to 47 wins and there was a lot of excitement and buzz," Colangelo said of his 39-39 team. "This year, we've taken a step backward with the record, but are we going be a better playoff team? Time will tell.

"[But] before we write off the season, we have to play it out, get to the playoffs and see where we are.… We're not going to settle, we're going to strive for more, but that's going to be at a later date."