Not every NBA player can be a star. Role players are a key element of a successful team, and they're worthy of attention as well. With that said, here's the Toronto Star reporting on Raptors guard Cory Joseph, who through Sunday's games is the fifth-leading scorer on his squad with 7.4 ppg on impressive 55.6% shooting:

Seven games in, Cory Joseph is already having a career year with the Toronto Raptors.

He’s not scoring at an all-star clip (seven points, with two rebounds and assists per game), but Joseph is flourishing in his role of backup point guard. After four years with the San Antonio Spurs, Joseph is enjoying a healthy 23 minutes per game, which is eight more than his career average and five more than he played last year.

He was busy on the Raptors’ four-game road trip, playing 20, 26 and 29 minutes against Dallas, Oklahoma City and Orlando, respectively, before getting in 23 minutes in Sunday’s loss to Miami. His 19 points in Orlando were a season-high and a notable in an otherwise unimpressive night for his team.

Just 24, with young legs and the desire to establish himself playing in his hometown, Joseph won’t be looking over to coach Dwane Casey and signalling for a sub, regardless of how long he’s on the floor.