It isn't quite a rivalry yet, but, in terms of mutual animosity, nothing in the Eastern Conference quite matches up to the Knicks and Raptors having at it again in the first round of the playoffs. We don't have a nutcase coach around suing former players, but we do have some undeniable vitriol as well as some critical characters who've changed places since these teams last met.

	Vince Carter hasn't won a playoff game yet, and this year he really needs to.

Last year saw the arrival of Vinsanity, the first playoff berth for the Raptors, and a quick introduction to Playoff 101, courtesy of the play-until-May Knicks. Sure, the Raptors had won three of four in the regular season, but most everyone outside Toronto knew that information belonged in the circular file. Then the Knicks went out and showed them what the post-season is all about, sweeping the Raptors. If they do it again, Mark Jackson is even around to push the broom.

Don't bet on it, even if Patrick Ewing predicts it.

The Raptors again took the season series this year, 3-1, but again find themselves looking at opening a best-of-fiver against New York in The World's Most Famous Sports Arena. That's about the only similarity from last year. Toronto has moved up a notch to No. 5 while the Knicks dropped a notch to No. 4. The Raptors improved on last season's 45 wins despite losing Tracy McGrady and Doug Christie and getting little in return for either. The Knicks dropped a notch after losing Ewing, their third leading scorer and top rebounder in last year's playoffs. But they do have Glen Rice and Travis Knight to tell them about that championship feeling.

	Childs

	J.Williams

	Clark

The Raps have a new coach in the Anything Goes Lenny Wilkens, who is the anti-Butch Carter. They have added Keon Clark, Jerome Williams and Chris Childs to the mix. They actually have a rookie who contributes in Morris Peterson and have been getting big contributions from someone they tried to dump on the Celtics last year -- Alvin Williams. They still have the wily Charles Oakley, who likes nothing better than to remind the Knicks what he's all about. They still have the valuable Antonio Davis, at least for another week or two.

And, of course, they still have Vince. It all comes back to Vince.

Frankly, it's time for Carter to show what the fuss is all about. We all got a bit ahead of ourselves last year in anointing him as the Next Michael before he had even so much as appeared in a playoff game. He still hasn't even won one yet; then again Jordan won one in his first three years.

	Oakley

	Sprewell

Carter already is busy trying to deflect attention from himself, but if he goes 15 of 50 from the field like he did last year in the playoffs, it will be all over. The Knicks swarmed him incessantly, led by the energetic, long-armed Latrell Sprewell, and Carter averaged only 19.3 points a game, down from 25.7 in the regular season. He took Toronto with him; the Raptors shot a hideous 37 percent from the field and were limited to 83.7 points a game, almost 14 less than their regular-season average.

The playoffs represent the chance for the elite to separate themselves from the flotsam and jetsam and Carter clearly is Toronto's elite keeper. He had another terrific season, was the leading vote getter among fans for the All-Star Game, and helped the Raptors to a franchise-record 47 wins.

But the spotlight was not on him this year the way it was last year. He dissed his constituency by shunning the Slam Dunk competition over All-Star weekend. Vinsanity soon went the way of many of those once-hot dot-coms and, over the last couple months, Carter even was overshadowed by his former teammate, McGrady. There also were plenty of other diversions, such as the Lakers' intramural squabble, the ongoing evaluation of all things Allen Iverson and then some late-season moves which shifted attention in the East to Philly and Miami.

Have you happened to notice that NO ONE is talking about Toronto? Or, for that matter, Carter? It shouldn't necessarily be thus, because the Raptors enter the playoffs having won 10 of their last 13 games while the Knicks are going the other way, having lost 8 of 15. The Knicks also are more concerned about the status of Marcus Camby, the defendant in Butch Carter's witless and quickly-withdrawn lawsuit last season, and Larry Johnson, whose back hurts so much he can't make his 'L' sign anymore without grimacing.

	Camby

We know that late-season play isn't always a barometer of things to come -- they sure hope that is the case in Portland. But, in many ways, the basketball fans in Toronto are praying it is the case because this could be a critical series for the Raptors and their future.

General manager Glen Grunwald did a superb job rebuilding after losing McGrady, acquiring Clark, Jerome Williams and Childs in deals which made Toronto younger, quicker and more defensive-minded. He's grown tired of defending his city as a great place to live and play in the NBA. But if the Raptors go down in smoke again, it will be a tough sell to keep free agent-to-be Davis in Canada -- and an even tougher one to convince Carter to sign a long-term extension this summer.

It also couldn't make any difference. Davis is presumed to be exiting Canada anyway and the widely held theory around the NBA is that Carter will do the same. But if the Raptors somehow beat the Knicks and then play well in the next round, maybe minds and perceptions will change. Maybe.

But this is the here and now and Carter needs to rise to the occasion. His already glossy dossier would be much more impressive if he did a Reggie Miller on the Knicks. He has his best "supporting cast" in his three years, a coach who knows the drill, and a team bent on redemption. No one is expecting him to do it alone, but everyone should be expecting him to get it done. That's what superstars are supposed to do.

Peter May, who covers the NBA for the Boston Globe, is a regular contributor to ESPN.com.