NBA Podcast: The Raptors' present and future, and the state of the East

Welcome to the latest edition of "Pound the Rock," an NBA podcast hosted by Joseph Casciaro and Joe Wolfond.

Find the show on iTunes, Soundcloud, Stitcher, and Spotify.

Sportsnet's Will Lou joins this week's show to discuss the Raptors' present and future outlook and the rest of the Eastern Conference. Topics include:

• Surprising preseason developments from Scottie Barnes and Precious Achiuwa
• Which of the Raptors' four core players (Barnes, Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, Fred VanVleet) has the best chance to grow into a perennial All-Star and franchise player?
• What would a bounce-back season look like for Siakam?
• What's Barnes' ideal offensive role?
• Can Anunoby grow into a primary offensive creator?
• How can the offense function with minimal pick-and-roll play?
• The benefits and drawbacks of a hyper-aggressive defensive scheme
• How close is VanVleet to maxing out his capabilities?
• The non-Raptors teams in the East that interest us most
• Will the Bulls' offense be good enough to offset a potentially problematic defense?
• Why Kyle Lowry is such a good stylistic fit with the Heat
• The Knicks improved and may still wind up slipping in the standings
• Are the Nets and Bucks on a conference finals collision course?
• Is Brooklyn still the East favorite even if Kyrie Irving doesn't play?