The Toronto Raptors could be without the services of wing stopper DeMarre Carroll when they go up against Carmelo Anthony and the New York Knicks on Tuesday.
Carroll missed Sunday’s game against the Miami Heat due to plantar fasciitis in his right foot, an issue that’s been plaguing him for two weeks. It’s also an injury that requires ample rest to heal, which probably makes his official “questionable” status for Tuesday a bit optimistic.
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. It 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. It’s encouraging that the Raptors appear to be taking the long-view in getting Carroll rest now, lest the issue linger, even if sitting out isn’t likely to sit well with the self-proclaimed Junkyard Dog 2.0.
James Johnson drew the start in Carroll’s stead on Sunday and would probably stand to do so again if Carroll can’t go Tuesday. Johnson turned in a strong first half, locking in on defense and staying within himself on offense, but things went off the rails fairly quickly in the third quarter. A few defensive lapses off the ball and attempts to do too much on offense sent Johnson to the bench until garbage time, finishing with seven points, seven rebounds, and two assists in 26 minutes. Still, Johnson is the team’s best option against Anthony, an obscenely gifted offensive player who can shift between the forward positions and really exploit size mis-matches.
Head coach Dwane Casey is a little short on options if Johnson doesn’t get the nod. Terrence Ross is mired in a four-game slump and Casey has preached role consistency with his would-be bench scorer, while Norman Powell hasn’t yet been trusted with regular rotation minutes (his defensive effort could certainly send a message to Ross, but his offensive game isn’t quite there yet). Considering Patrick Patterson is also struggling mightily off the bench at the four, no lineup iteration really jumps out as a potential solution for Casey. Instead, it seems likely Johnson draws the start and the rotation looks similar to the first three quarters of Sunday’s game.
One option Casey spoke about at shoot-around Tuesday, per TSN’s Josh Lewenberg, is going to a two-point guard lineup more often. Casey wants to get Cory Joseph, one of the team’s best players through seven games, more playing time, and slotting him in at the two could be a means to do so.
The Raptors are on-record as not wanting to task DeMar DeRozan with playing as much small forward this season, but it may represent their best option with Carroll shelved. DeRozan’s only averaged seven minutes per game at the three so far, and while Anthony is a difficult check and much bigger than DeRozan, as a short-term stop-gap, the coaching staff may be amenable to it.
Joseph is averaging 23.1 minutes on the year, 10 of them coming alongside Lowry. That’s been an effective look, as the Raptors have outscored opponents by 13.9 points per-100 possessions with both guards on the floor. The Canadian is shooting 55.6 percent from the floor, averaging 7.4 points, two rebounds, and 2.1 assists, and if he could ever become a 3-point threat – he’s 1-of-4 on the season and is visibly hesitant to let fly when open or when opposing guards go under screens – he and Lowry could present a formidable backcourt duo for much longer stretches.
The Knicks are a middle-of-the-pack defensive team in the early-going, and goosing the offense with two guards may be the best way for the Raptors to make up some of the edge they’ll lose in the Anthony match-up regardless.
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