Instead, Bargnani took his time. He backed into the paint. And using his height advantage on James - understanding that James, at 6-foot-8, was at the mercy his 7-foot length - Bargnani reeled off a beautiful up-and-under move for an easy two.

"Last year he would have never taken LeBron back to the basket to try and score on him," said Maurizio Gherardini, the Raptors senior vice-president of Basketball operations. "It's just a matter of a kid - a former kid - who has grown, and whose level of confidence has grown. ... He's just becoming more of a man in every sense of the word."

These are early days, of course. And just as Gherardini spent Thursday peppering his praise for Bargnani with disclaimers - "It's just the beginning of a long journey," the executive said - Raptors coach Jay Triano wasn't especially effusive about Bargnani's performance in Toronto's 101-91 season-opening win.

Anybody who has watched Bargnani the past three seasons, after all, has seen the occasional dominating evening. "Consistency" was the word Triano repeated; as in, let's not get crazy with the compliments until we see some.

The cautious optimism emanating from Raptorland is not misplaced. Last year, you'll remember, the Raptors got off to a 3-0 win-loss record and won all of 30 more games in the remaining 79.

And as great as Bargnani played in putting up 28 points on 11-for-15 shooting Wednesday - and the beauty was in the many ways in which he scored, by slashing and jump-shooting and posting up - he did have his traditional dalliance with foul trouble.

Still, Bargnani, who turned 24 on Monday, displayed a patience and an ease that seemed revelatory, albeit anecdotal. What's different this year? Don't discount the importance of the presence of countrymen Marco Belinelli, the guard who was acquired in the off-season and who had the option on his contract extended by the Raptors through the 2010-11 season on Thursday, and Francesco Cuzzolin, Toronto's new-this-year strength and conditioning coach, who has worked with Bargnani since the player's early days with Italy's Benetton Treviso club.

"I think he's more and more comfortable in his situation," said Gherardini.

With the Raptors visiting the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night, Bargnani gets his second straight date with a slow-footed frontcourt in Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph - and that, too, should be good for his comfort level.

But then again, perhaps the best way to see if Bargnani's game has truly evolved will be to observe him in a game in which his beloved jump shot isn't falling. In the past, of course, the absence of an outside threat has made him moot. The challenge for Bargnani will be, on the nights when his offensive arsenal isn't buoyed by a hot hand from deep, to find other ways to keep humbling defenders.

"It's just experience. Practice, practice. Do the same thing, over and over again. I think that's the only way to get better," said Bargnani. "We've just played one game. There's a long way to go. I don't really have to think anymore about (Wednesday)."