If DeMarre Carroll didn’t look quite himself against the Orlando Magic on Friday, there’s an extremely painful reason why: He’s dealing with plantar fasciitis.
Reports from Chris O’Leary and Mike Ganter out of practice Saturday indicate that Carroll’s been dealing with the injury for 10 days and has been playing at 70 percent as a result. He missed practice Saturday and is considered questionable for Sunday’s game against the Miami Heat, as he’s concerned he’s “starting to hurt his team rather than help,” per Ganter.
It’s unclear which foot is ailing Carroll.
For those unfamiliar, plantar fasciitis is a remarkably uncomfortable foot condition that makes it feel as if you’re constantly running with stones – or glass – in your shoe. Plantar fasciitis occurs when the band of tissue running from the heel to the toes becomes inflamed from overuse. The only real remedy is rest and stretching, and in worse cases players have been sidelined for up to six weeks with the ailment.
The idea of rest isn’t likely to sit well with Carroll, who has already played through an elbow contusion this season and played the Eastern Conference finals last season “on one leg.” He’s missed 21 games over the past two seasons with minor injuries, though luckily he doesn’t have a history of plantar fasciitis to increase the level of concern here.
Carroll got off to a strong start as a Raptor, scoring 49 points over the first three games of the season. He’s managed just 39 in the four games since, struggling from outside and failing to finish several shots near the basket, looks that his aggressive cutting normally renders easy. He turned in his worst two-way performance as a member of the Raptors on Friday, shooting 3-of-13 in 36 minutes as the Raptors played to a -15 with him on the floor.
For the season, Carroll is averaging 12.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.3 steals in 35.7 minutes, roughly in line with his Atlanta production, in counting terms. In efficiency terms, Carroll’s doing slightly less on a per-minute basis and his shooting has been an issue, as he’s hit 34.2 percent from the floor and 33.3 percent from outside. It’s far too early to make an evaluation of his play, particularly if he’s been playing hurt, and his defense has come exactly as advertised.
Should Carroll sit out Sunday, it stands to reason that Terrence Ross would draw the start in his stead. Ross has been inconsistent to start the season (shocker), showing improvements as a play-maker and as a defender but shooting poorly from the field. Carroll’s absence would probably rule out attacking the Heat with smaller lineups, as the Raptors wouldn’t have the requisite wing depth. Norman Powell and James Johnson could see spot duty, too, especially if Ross struggles early on.
Long-term, there’s not a ton to stress about here. The injury is one that can linger but also one that can be managed, especially so early in the season. Head coach Dwane Casey and staff will need to take the long view here and prevent Carroll from suiting up if it’s not in his best interest, no matter how much the self-proclaimed Junkyard Dog 2.0 may want to play through it. It’s worth being at a disadvantage in the short-term to prevent the plantar fasciitis from dragging too far into the season.
Raptors-Heat tips off at 6 p.m. tomorrow on Sportsnet One.
