Raptors vs. Timberwolves: The All-Star party hasn't started yet

All-Star Weekend in Toronto is only days away, and while the city is already abuzz with excitement, the Raptors still have work to do before they head to the break. A date with the lowly Minnesota Timberwolves awaits Wednesday evening, as Raps fans will once again get to see standout Canadian Andrew Wiggins face off against the country's sole NBA club.

The Dinos are feeling good about themselves right now, and they have every right to be. Toronto has won 15 of its last 16 games to improve to 35-16 on the season, sitting just two games behind the Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland Cavaliers heading into tonight's action.

Minnesota has gone full Timberwolves in the 2015-16 campaign, dwelling in third last in the Western Conference at 16-37. This is a team that hasn't seen the postseason since 2004, but with the abundance of developing talent on the roster, better days are not so far away for the young Wolves.

You'll have to forgive Raps fans if they're preaching cautious optimism in the wake of the team's success. Things looked great last January before the season went completely off the rails, but there's a different feeling surrounding the squad this year. The Raptors have been lots of fun to watch and cover so far, so here's to keeping the good times rolling.

Before you hit the comments, here's some pre-game reading material:

Harsh Dave tees up tonight's matchup for you in our game preview.

Long-time Raptors writer Eric Koreen made his SB Nation debut today - a profile on the perennial underappreciation of DeMar DeRozan. Welcome, Koreen! Glad to have you aboard.

Sportsnet's Michael Grange takes you inside the Raptors' flashy new practice facility.

That's all I've got. Comment away!