They were difficult times for Rondae Hollis-Jefferson as he sat and watched the Raptors play and win.

He knew he could contribute but he wasn’t able to; the minutes weren’t scarce, they were invisible. All Hollis-Jefferson could do was stay anchored to the bench during games and work his tail off in practice every day.

The 25-year-old forward, who spent the last four years in Brooklyn, has the support of his teammates. Some have been in precisely the same situation, forgotten not because of what they couldn’t do but because of what others could.

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“It takes a lot of heart, a lot of character and a lot of mental fortitude to come in and keep working every day regardless,” Raptors guard Fred VanVleet said. “The easiest thing to do is feel sorry for yourself.”

Hollis-Jefferson hasn’t. Nor have Chris Boucher, Terence Davis and Stanley Johnson. The Raptors’ reserves know somehow, some day, their time will come.

“Um, it was tough,” Hollis-Jefferson admitted after he got an extended run in a win over the Lakers last Sunday that finally got his season off to a productive start.

“I’m human, I have feelings and I’m a competitor. I’m emotional, I wear my heart on my sleeve. So it was definitely tough.”

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Since that Lakers game — his first game action after sitting out five entire contests — Hollis-Jefferson has been resurgent and a large part of why the Raptors have overcome the absence of four rotation players to post three wins in four road games.

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The tone was set the first time he got a legitimate spell on the court.

“He’s not the most skilful guy, he gets everything done on effort, and he just went out there and played hard,” Raptors coach Nick Nurse said. “The ball found him a few times and he made some great finishes, I thought ... (He) doesn’t really need to keep much sharp because he plays so hard.”

Hollis-Jefferson played 29 minutes against the Clippers on Monday after OG Anunoby went out with an eye injury and then logged 26 minutes Wednesday in Portland, moving into a starting role at halftime and finishing with a career-high eight offensive rebounds of the 11 he got overall.

“I don’t think I ever got eight,” Hollis-Jefferson told reporters after the 114-106 win over the Trail Blazers. “Four or five maybe but I looked at the box and it said I had three defensive rebounds. Usually it’s the other way around. But at the end of the day, it’s just about playing hard.”

It is what’s going to keep Hollis-Jefferson in the rotation even after Anunoby returns because the Raptors are searching for some added depth. If he can be counted on each night, the job is his to grab.

Hollis-Jefferson doesn’t have to be a star, he just has to be a smart, defensive-minded player who understands his responsibilities. Having watched others do it, he knows what it takes to seize an opportunity.

“This NBA game is so fickle. Injuries come and go,” VanVleet said. “We’ve got two of our main guys (Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka) out. There will be some opportunities. We need to get some guys on the floor anyway.”

VanVleet is like the wise old sage of the Raptors locker room these days, making sure the depth guys know the stars have their backs and are ready to help them produce. It’s about being a good, supportive teammate and Hollis-Jefferson appreciates having them.

“There are some great guys in here who understand the grind and the situation,” he said. “When you have good people around, it makes life a little bit easier.”

With the Raptors in need of some frontcourt depth for as long as Ibaka is out, Hollis-Jefferson, who can play either forward position, is in a spot to provide it. He and Boucher have given Toronto a huge boost in last three games. It doesn’t totally make up for Ibaka’s absence but it does make it a bit easier to deal with.