Now the work begins.

After another summer of roster machinations, and coming off another non-playoff season, the Raptors get down to serious business in Halifax with training camp that begins Tuesday.

Lots of competition for jobs, lots of questions to be answered, lots of optimism (as there is with 29 other teams, too).

A look at what’s ahead:

Which Bargnani do they get?

As one official with the team said recently, “we need our best player to be our best player” and that’s aimed directly at the all-too-often enigmatic Andrea Bargnani.

He got off to a superb start a year ago — vastly improved defence was the most impressive bit — but the season went off the rails thanks to a calf injury.

If he approximates the first 20 games of last season, everyone will be happy.

Can DeRozan get better?

Entering his fourth season, it’s time for the swingman to, as they say, take his game to the next level.

Better ball-handling skills, more consistent shooting and better defence are the areas that need the most improvement. And you know coach Dwane Casey will be honed in on the defensive aspect of the game.

Can someone here make a shot?

The Raptors were vastly improved defensively a year ago but regressed on offence. A lot of that had to do with the extended absence of Bargnani, their leading scorer, but they need to shoot better, get to the rim more often and find ways to score easy baskets in transition. You know, get better and more efficient in every offensive category.

Can Casey work his magic?

Casey proved last year he was the right man for the head coaching job; he was able to connect with the players and get the improvement needed in most areas.

This will be the first full training camp and preseason he’s had and it’ll be interesting to see what new wrinkles he can come up with.

Which Fields shows up?

A lot of attention will be paid to third-year wing Landry Fields, the team’s most significant free-agent pick up in the off-season. He showed in his rookie year that he can make shots and fit in; his sophomore season in New York was dreadful.

The best guess is that he will settle in somewhere in between those two extremes but if he gets closer to his first year than his second, he gives Toronto something it desperately needs and will add some much-needed good depth to the wing position.

We know this will be one of the more competitive camps in recent years, with all kinds of questions to answer about who plays and who starts and who finishes.

Casey said last week that he was seeking better balance and was looking forward to see who emerges as his core group.

“It’s going to be competitive which is going to be great because that’s going to get us ready for the season,” newcomer Landry Fields said of camp.

“Through our competitiveness in practice, hopefully we’ll be pushing over the edge to get into the playoffs.”

Here’s how it breaks down:

Point guards

Jose Calderon, Kyle Lowry, John Lucas III

The addition of Lowry gives the Raptors something they haven’t had in a while: a scrappy, tough veteran who may lead by example.

He and Calderon present difference challenges for opponents — and for Casey to deploy — while Lucas, if pressed into action, can score in bunches.

The big question will be how Lowry and Calderon share the point guard duties and if both are happy with their roles, however they are determined.

Wings

DeMar DeRozan, Terrence Ross, Landry Fields, Linas Kleiza, Dominic McGuire, Alan Anderson, Jerel McNeal.

The pressure will be on DeRozan to step up his game at both ends of the court because there is a lot of competition for minutes. Fields is comfortable at either of the wing positions, Anderson provided the kind of grit Casey likes in a brief trial at the end of last season and McGuire is known as a tough defender, although he has only a partially-guaranteed contract.

Kleiza is the most interesting part of this equation: He looked very good at the London Olympics — although he played a lot of power forward — and is coming off an injury-plagued 2012 season.

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Ross, the rookie, will have to get used to the speed of the game and the calibre of the nightly opponent but he’s a shot-maker and is said to have a high basketball IQ.

Bigs

Andrea Bargnani, Aaron Gray, Ed Davis, Amir Johnson, Jonas Valanciunas, Quincy Acy, Jamaal Magloire, Chris Wright.

Oh, boy. Many a choice.

Bargnani’s coming off a fine, but abbreviated season; Valanciunas might miss some time with a calf injury but he’s an intriguing big, young but talented; and Gray provides the muscle Casey likes.

The biggest competition is sure to be between Davis and Johnson, both of whom were regulars a year ago but with the addition of the rookie, there might not be significant time for each this season.

Acy is seen as some kind of Reggie Evans Lite but it’s going to take him time to learn the tricks of the trade; his most important contribution might be beating on teammates in practice.

Magloire’s a longshot to stick on the roster but there’s room for him in the organization, certainly; Wright is likely just training camp fodder.

Even if Casey wants to use 10 players a night, that’s only four bigs (with four wings and two point guards) so someone is going to lose out.

Casey said he’s not sure and there’s no reason not to believe him; and it’s better for the overall tone of the year to have players unsettled about their jobs, at least to start.

Best guess?

Not sure there is one but with a gun to the head, one might suggest it’s Lowry, DeRozan, Fields, Bargnani and Gray with Calderon, Kleiza, Anderson, Davis and Valanciunas behind them.

That’s until Ross learns the game and the Johnson-Davis battle is still to be waged.

In case you’ve forgotten, the significant departed are:

Jerryd Bayless (signed as a free agent with Memphis, Leandro Barbosa (still unsigned), James Johnson (trade with Sacramento), Gary Forbes (trade with Houston), Ben Uzoh (still unsigned), Solomon Alabi (still unsigned)

The newcomers are:

Kyle Lowry (trade with Houston), Jonas Valanciunas (2011 draft pick), Landry Fields (free agent acquisition), Terrence Ross (2012 draft pick), Quincy Acy (2012 draft pick).

Without even a formal practice being held, it’s hard not to think that they’ve upgraded the roster. How much remains to be seen.

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