DeMarre Carroll will not suit up for the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday. Neither will Terrence Ross, leaving the Raptors painfully thin on the wing against the New York Knicks.
Carroll’s absence was entirely expected. He missed Sunday’s game due to plantar fasciitis in his right foot, an injury that’s been quietly plaguing him for about two weeks. While he was listed as questionable earlier in the day, playing Carroll never made much sense. Plantar fasciitis is an injury that only gets better with adequate rest, and while it may not sit well with the self-proclaimed Junkyard Dog 2.0, missing a few games now is likely best to ensure the injury doesn’t linger.
The Raptors will travel to Philadelphia after Tuesday’s game and it seems likely that Carroll will sit against the Sixers on Wednesday, too. That would mean he’s had an entire week off between appearances if he’s able to go Friday. For what it’s worth, Carroll was a true game-time call Wednesday. He entered the locker room at 6:35, having just finished a pre-game workout, and even then wouldn’t reveal his status before meeting with head coach Dwane Casey. No player wants to sit out, Carroll especially, but it’s smart for the team to take the long-view.
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.
James Johnson drew the start in Carroll’s stead on Sunday and stands to do so again Tuesday. Johnson turned in a strong first half Sunday, 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, and when engaged he can be a moderately effective neutralizer.
Casey would have had the option to start the struggling Ross and eschew the role consistency he’s been preaching, but Ross is out, too.
Ross’ absence wasn’t expected, as the shooting guard injured his left thumb Monday (it’s being called a ligament injury, not a sprain). Given how he’s been playing, a game off to clear his head may not be the worst thing, but it does leave the Raptors perilously low on capable wing players.
There are a few trickle-down effects from the Carroll and Ross injuries:
- Bruno Caboclo and Bebe Nogueira are both active. There’s a scenario in which Caboclo could play and even be asked to use his length on Anthony, as again, the team is short on options here.
- The Raptors can’t really afford for Johnson to have a bad game. He’s their only reasonable option on Anthony and there aren’t many options if Johnson gets sent to the bench again.
- Norman Powell figures to see his first serious run of the season. DeMar DeRozan will be tasked with playing more small forward than usual (he’s averaging seven minutes there so far), opening up minutes at the two for Powell. The rookie brings great length and defensive intensity, but his re-tooled jumper is yet to produce on-court results. As a tone-setter off the bench, there are worse options, and it will be interesting to get a longer look at him in meaningful minutes.
- Cory Joseph should see the minutes bump Casey wants to get him. The Raptors figure to use Joseph alongside Kyle Lowry plenty tonight (they’ve averaged 10 minutes together through seven games). Joseph is averaging 7.4 points and 2.1 assists while shooting 55.6 percent in 23.1 minutes, and lineups with him alongside Lowry have rolled opponents by 13.9 points per-100 possessions, even without Joseph representing an off-ball long-range threat. If Casey wants to get him more time, there won’t be a better opportunity than a night that more or less demands creative lineup iterations.
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.
The line has moved from Toronto -8 to Toronto -7.5 since earlier today, for those who care about such things.
