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With a mid-afternoon start at home on Sunday against the New York Knicks, there was no time for the Toronto Raptors to hold a normal pregame shoot-around, which is a ritual for most NBA clubs.

Instead, Toronto coach Dwane Casey had the players arrive about three hours before game time to participate in what is known as a walk-through, in which the team gathers on the court to go over the scouting report on the upcoming opponent. It's a light exercise that rarely produces even a single bead of sweat.

Afterward, with most of the Raptors trooping back into the locker room to begin preparing for the real thing, Jared Sullinger instead headed upstairs to the practice court at Air Canada Centre to get his serious workout in.

For the rehabbing plus-sized Raptors power forward, it was primarily just running and working on his shot for the next hour or so.

Anything, Sullinger said, to get him back to a semblance of game condition so he can return to the court as soon as possible to show the Raptors what he has to offer.

Sullinger, Toronto's prime free-agent acquisition during the off-season, has not played a second for his new team after injuring his left foot during training camp in October.

Following surgery, when he had a screw inserted into the bone of his baby toe, it has been slow going for Sullinger. When you are 6-foot-9 and 260 pounds, it makes sense to take things easy when the injury is to your foot.

So when Sullinger received clearance Friday that it was safe to resume full practice, it was welcome news.

"There's a lot of work that has to be done for me to be where I want to be," Sullinger said. "I'm a kid in a candy store but I'm just not allowed the candy yet."

There is no timetable for Sullinger's return to active duty, but a reasonable guess would be by the end of the month.

There is no hurry, as the Raptors have been faring just fine without his looming presence, which is anticipated to be in the starting lineup at power forward when Casey feels he is ready.

The Raptors remain the leaders of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference, having won their last three games to improve their record to 27-13 on the season.

The team is now starting on a three-game road trip that will begin Tuesday night in Brooklyn against the Nets, the outfit the Raptors rolled over 132-113 on Friday at Air Canada Centre.

A win on Tuesday will give Toronto 28 victories by the season's halfway point, which would represent a franchise record for most wins through the first 41 games.

The Raptors had recorded 27 wins at the midway point of the 2014-15 season. Last season, Toronto had 26 wins through the first 41 games and would go on to record a franchise-best 56 victories.

It is getting to that point of the season where the drudgery of the day to day can start wearing on a team, where shortcuts in training can lead to bad habits in the games.

Casey said he is well aware of the mid-season pratfalls, but points to one magic elixir that can keep a team fresh.

"I know it sound facetious, but winning does that," Casey said. "We're probably not practising as long, film sessions are not as long as they used to be. Trying to keep guys mentally fresh as anything."

Casey said the game of basketball is about rhythm, continuity and consistency, and he does not like to alter the program all that much.

"So we try to keep that the same," he said. "And any time you mess with that, you mess with the game and I think you mess with the basketball gods. I'm not hip enough I guess to change too much, so we try to keep things the same and be consistent in what we do."

Which brings us back to Sullinger, and how his anticipated return to the lineup might affect a Raptors outfit that has jelled nicely during his absence.

Casey said it is not a concern, that Sullinger understands all the sets and schemes that the Raptors run for the power forward position.

"He'll help us, he'll help our rebounding tremendously," Casey said. "That's one of his gifts, his rebounding the basketball, his screening, his shooting. All the things he will do will kind of fit right in and really help us and better the chemistry and help the ball movement."

Last season with the Boston Celtics, Sullinger averaged 8.3 boards and 10.3 points in 81 games and helped Boston into the playoffs.

His physical presence will be a welcome addition to a Toronto team that has struggled at times rebounding the ball this season, their 42.9 average per game ranking them in the league's lower echelon.

Centre Jonas Valanciunas has picked up the pace of late, recording his third straight double-double against the Knicks, with 12 points and 16 rebounds.

Last Tuesday against the Celtics, Valanciunas plucked a career-high 23 off the glass.

"JV's playing unbelievable," Sullinger said. "He's been going after every rebound like I've been telling him the whole year and I think it's finally clicked for him.

"Hopefully it only gets better from here."

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