It’s impossible to know when he might return; the only North American professional athlete to be diagnosed with the same injury was New England Patriots receiver Danny Amendola, who was out of action for about a month. But every athlete is different, with different pain thresholds and recovery times, so comparing one to another is a stretch. And there is no history to look at where DeRozan is concerned. The 25-year-old has been remarkably healthy in his five-plus seasons in the NBA, missing just 11 of 410 games before Friday night. Two seasons ago, he played in each of the team’s 82 games, then 79 of 82 while becoming an Eastern Conference all-star in 2013-14. Injured on a seemingly harmless slip early in the second half of Friday’s game, DeRozan is the team’s leading scorer, averaging more than 19 points a game, and has been a perfect complement to backcourt mate Kyle Lowry.
Still, this will be a test of the chemistry and cohesion that general manager Masai Ujiri bet on this summer. Last season, the Raptors’ five starters missed just 13 games in total. Now, Casey will have to find multiple contingency plans to replace their all-star, while the Raptors will have to adapt to a new style of offence. This could mean additional offensive responsibilities for centre Jonas Valanciunas, both in the post and in the pick-and-roll, which might help the team in the long run. Also, we will get to check in on the progress of Ross, whose decision-making skills when he finds himself with the ball are inconsistent. At 13-3, the Raptors have fashioned themselves a cushion in the Eastern Conference standings. As the Raptors navigate the best way in which to deal with DeRozan’s injury, they will be thankful that they have it.
“James is going to have a tough task because he is learning the three (small forward) and the four (power forward) offensively,” Casey said. “He’s in a tough position, now we’re going to need that extra body with DeMar being out at the three.” Casey said he and his coaching staff would decide on a new stating lineup and rotation, “in the next day or so. We don’t know now, we’ll talk about that later.” Asked whether Williams, who recently won Eastern Conference player of the week honours, despite coming off of the bench, would step in as a starter or remain the sixth man, Casey’s wasn’t sure. “Lou’s done both and he’s very comfortable doing both (Williams has started 54 of his 570 career appearances). I’m, very comfortable with him at the one or the two. He’s a very versatile player, a very smart player, he could be a prime candidate for that (starting job).”
n Saturday, the Raptors officially designated DeRozan as out indefinitely, but Sam Amick of USA Today and Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports are reporting that DeRozan will be sidelined for about four weeks.
Raptors’ DeMar DeRozan Out Indefinitely With Torn Adductor | FanSided
For now it appears a collection of Greivis Vasquez, Terrence Ross, Lou Williams and James Johnson will attempt to make up the minutes now vacated by DeRozan’s absence. Hopefully he’s not out too long and can return to the court completely healthy sometime over the next few weeks.
Understanding DeMar Derozan’s Adductor Tear – In Street Clothes
The Toronto Raptors were one of the early surprises in the NBA, successfully building on the momentum generated during last year’s playoff run. The success of the team’s medical staff is a major reason for the team’s ascension up the Eastern Conference standings. Now the value of Scott McCullough and company will be put to the test with guard DeMar DeRozan suffering a significant lower leg injury. DeRozan was injured during Friday’s loss to the Dallas Mavericks. He slipped while attempting to cut and was helped off the court. The injury was initially ruled a groin strain though additional tests performed Saturday revealed the All-Star guard tore the tendon of the adductor longus muscle in his left leg.
Lewenberg: Raptors to face biggest test yet without DeRozan | TSN
Having to replace his production, for however long he is out will be a challenge, though it’s not necessarily a fatal blow given their depth and balance on both ends of the floor. More than anything else, it will be an adjustment. The sixth-year guard was logging roughly 34 minutes a night to lead the team after ranking third in the NBA in playing time last year. He has missed just 11 games to this point in his career (the Raptors are 8-3 in those contests). “We’ve got to [continue to] play,” said Kyle Lowry, who will be relied upon even more without his backcourt running mate. “Next man up. It’s a team, not about one guy. If anybody goes down, the next man has to step up.”
DeMar DeRozan injury a blow to hot Raptors | USA Today
The revelation that Toronto guard DeMar DeRozan is out with a torn tendon in his left leg won’t bring the Raptors to their knees, but they’ll be hard-pressed to maintain momentum without their most dangerous perimeter threat. DeRozan, fresh off his first All-Star campaign and his gold-medal run with Team USA in the FIBA Championships during the summer, was averaging 19.7 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. While the Raptors indicated that DeRozan is out indefinitely, a person with knowledge of his situation said DeRozan is hopeful that he can return in four weeks or less. The person spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity because the team had not announced a timeline. DeRozan went down late in the third quarter of a Friday night loss to the Dallas Mavericks, when he slipped while making a drive toward the basket. When DeRozan was upright and unleashed by coach Dwane Casey, the Raptors had become one of the league’s best offensive teams by any measure. Their scoring rate (110.7 points per 100 possessions) is the second-best in the NBA behind only the Mavericks, having improved significantly from last season (105.8 points per 100 possessions, ninth in the NBA) in large part because of the addition of Lou Williams during the summer that was such a masterstroke by Raptors general manager Masai Ujiri.
Raptors’ depth can carry team without DeRozan | Sportsnet.ca
Toronto’s depth has been a great mark of strength so far this season, and it will now be put to the test – something the team doesn’t seem to have an issue with. “We gotta play, it’s next man up,” Lowry told reporters after Friday’s tilt. “It’s a team. It’s not about one guy, it’s about every individual. So if anybody goes down, the next guy has gotta step up.” “It’s some big shoes to fill,” Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. “But the next guy has got to be ready to step up and take up the slack.” “I think we’ve got one of the best – I say this in a humble way – benches in the league, so somebody else has to step up,” Vasquez said. “I don’t see why Lou can’t step in, or myself, or James [Johnson]. … I think we are guys that can step up and do the job.” Vasquez is right when he says he, Williams or James Johnson could all fill in as starters, but that brings up another interesting dilemma that Casey might have to wrestle with.
DeMar DeRozan is out for some time – what now? | Raptors Rapture
Obviously someone’s going to be tapped on the shoulder to fill in as the starter. The only other name on the depth chart at SG is Louis Williams, and while Sweet Lou is certainly capable, I’m not convinced I like the idea. Having two tiny guards starting is asking for trouble defensively, and Lou off the bench offers scoring and energy most of our opponents have had great difficulty coping with. James Johnson scares me as a starter. He still has delusions of grandeur; I shudder every time he puts the ball on the floor. Bruno Caboclo, starting? Not yet, though I can see him getting off the bench. Landry Fields? He’s probably capable of handling the role defensively, but I’m doubtful he can contribute much to our offense. It’s pick your poison time, Rapture Nation.
Toronto Raptors: Why Kyle Lowry Is East’s Best Point Guard | Hoops Habit
The Toronto Raptors have defied expectations and early-season predictions to be the best team in the Eastern Conference. Very few analysts picked them to have a 13-2 record after the first 15 games, and it’s fair to say that they’ve played some impressive basketball on their way to their 13 wins. A large part of their sudden rise has been Kyle Lowry. He signed an extension with the team during the offseason, after he was given the chance to survey and contemplate offers from other teams. Over the years, Lowry has developed a bit of a reputation as a renegade and a hot head, one who clashes strongly with authority figures.
Ex-Raptor Rose says Vince Carter put Mitchell on his back and rips former manage | Toronto Sun
“The way (Carter) was overcome by emotion and the way he shed a couple of tears, that’s how I felt when we traded him for Aaron (Williams), Eric (Williams) and Alonzo Mourning who never was deciding to make the trip … drafting Rafael Araujo didn’t help. We needed a couple a players that could contribute … it starts with the moves the teams make. We weren’t really adding to that team like I felt like we could. What did we trade Vince for? When that ends up happening, it’s hard to truly have success.”
Toronto Raptors: Jalen Rosen Receives Tribute; Criticizes Former Management | Tip of the Tower
Rose made it clear to the Toronto media that he felt former management was to blame for the uncomfortable break-up with Vince Carter: “As a player who has been traded before I know that when things get out to the public like where you mom is parking, that means somebody in the front office is clearly leaking information to try to make you look bad and make the transition easier when you move a great player like him.”
Raptors Finish Franchise’s Best Month Ever Against The Lakers | Pro Bball Report
Future Hall-of-Fame guard Kobe Bryant leads the league in scoring at 26.4 points per game, but he’s taking 23.1 field goal attempts which is twice as many as any of his teammates and he’s shooting 38.8 percent from the field. However, the Lakers truly are a collection of parts thrown together at the last minute and they are just as likely to defer to Bryant as he is to try and dominant the offense. Unsurprisingly, the Lakers haven’t shown a lot of team chemistry, but if they find any, this squad would quickly become that much more dangerous.
Raptors-Lakers Preview | FOX Sports
Scott doesn’t see the Raptors as being too weakened. DeRozan is one of five players averaging at least 10 points for a club scoring an East-leading 107.6 points. “They’re still very athletic, very young,” Scott said. “They get after you pretty good. Terrence Ross is a good player, so it’ll probably put a little bit more on his plate and the same thing with Kyle Lowry and those guys.”
NBA Preview – Toronto Raptors at Los Angeles Lakers – Nov 30, 2014 | CBSSports.com
Scott doesn’t see the Raptors as being too weakened. DeRozan is one of five players averaging at least 10 points for a club scoring an East-leading 107.6 points. “They’re still very athletic, very young,” Scott said. “They get after you pretty good. Terrence Ross is a good player, so it’ll probably put a little bit more on his plate and the same thing with Kyle Lowry and those guys.” The coach was angry after Friday’s 120-119 home defeat to Minnesota. Los Angeles (3-13) yielded 39 third-quarter points, and is allowing league worsts of 29.8 points in that period and 111.4 overall. “It’s really been our third quarters that’s been killing us,” Scott said. “So obviously we’re not coming out of the locker room ready to play to start the third quarter and we gotta change that.” The offense continues to revolve around Kobe Bryant, who easily leads the league by averaging 23.1 shots for the NBA’s highest scoring average – 26.4.
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