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USA TODAY Sports

Nothing like a scorching-hot start to the 2014-15 regular season to keep fans of the Toronto Raptors nice and toasty during these winter months.

Not even the most diehard of supporters could have projected this miraculous 16-6 stretch. It's a borderline Cinderella story with size 14 sneakers and 7:30 tipoffs replacing glass slippers and midnight curfews.

Sitting atop the feeble Atlantic Division is one thing, but holding down the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference with the Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers (evil stepsisters?) in the rear-view mirror is when the respect starts pouring in.

I guess you can say that they started from the bottom, now they're here. I hear that line is very popular with global ambassadors.

Head coach Dwane Casey has preached on numerous occasions to both the media and his players that the NBA season is a marathon, not a sprint. While things are happy-go-lucky north of the border at the moment, there's still plenty of basketball left to be played.

Transitioning from the role of chaser to chasee is a huge step in the development of this ballclub. It's a welcome position to be in, although it may be a tad nerve-wracking to some of the younger players on the roster.

It's easy to sell the Raptors short in terms of their chances at the Larry O'Brien Trophy. This is a franchise that has gotten out of the first round of the playoffs on just one occasion. Being 10 games over the .500 mark in December isn't enough evidence to sway the most adamant of doubters.

These are uncharted waters filled with ravenous sharks who want nothing more than to sink their teeth in and yank the team off its perch.

The road to the postseason is off to one fiery beginning, but where it ends is anyone's guess.

These are some of the key storylines you need to be looking at if you haven't followed Canada's team as vehemently as the "We The North" movement.