The Toronto Raptors may enter the new year completely whole.
There were a few pieces of news to trickle out from the team’s Christmas Day practice, a practice that Kyle Lowry did not attend. According to Doug Smith of the Toronto Star, Lowry missed practice due to a travel issue. It was expected that Lowry would return home to Philadelphia for the team’s two-day reprieve, and while weather has mostly been clear, travel issues come up. Smith speculates that Lowry could be fined, though I’d imagine it’s more of an example-setting exercise than anything the team is all too upset about.
Want to know who WAS at practice AND participating? DeMarre Carroll, who has missed the last nine games with a right knee contusion. Again from Smith, the Raptors are expected to upgrade Carroll to probable on Saturday, meaning he could be back in action as soon as tomorrow night. Carroll was unable to do cardio as recently as last weekend and was expected to see a doctor this week for an update on the injury, one he played through for two weeks before it was diagnosed. The Raptors are best-served taking things cautiously with Carroll, who plays heavy minutes with a daunting defensive workload and a very physical style, all while being reticent to speak up about minor issues (like the plantar fasciitis he played through earlier in the year before ultimately missing three games).
Carroll’s averaging 12.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.9 steals while shooting 38.6 percent from the floor and 36.8 percent on threes in 18 games. The Raptors have been 7.9 points per-100 possessions better without him, owing some to his tough assignments and playing through injury, but that shouldn’t confuse that this team’s defensive upside is significantly higher with Carroll than without. If he can begin to find some chemistry with the team’s starters on offense – the primary goal for this team over the next few weeks – the Raptors may be able to stake a claim as the second best team in the East. Don’t you dare be sour, clap for your starting small forward and feel the power.
T.J. Ross and James Johnson have shared starts in Carroll’s place, with both acquitting themselves well. Johnson has been a nice spark in a larger role, helping create in transition and lock down bigger wings while ironing out some of the turnover and off-ball defense issues that have sent him to the bench at times. He missed Tuesday’s game with an ankle sprain but has said he heals “like Wolverine” in the past, so he might be good to go. Ross, meanwhile, has turned in his best three weeks or so in some time, once again leading to hope that he can find a groove as the team’s third wing.
Jonas Valanciunas, meanwhile, was cleared for practice Monday and went through the team’s workout Friday. His status won’t be updated until the team sees how he reacts to that session, but it’s seemed of late that the Lithuanian was closer to a return than Carroll since he was able to work out through his injury and got clearance first. In 14 games, Valanciunas was averaging career-highs of 12.7 points and 9.3 rebounds while shooting 55.6 percent from the floor, and the team misses him a good deal despite the admirable job Bismack Biyombo has done trying to fill in.
Patrick Patterson left Tuesday’s game with flu-like symptoms but there’s no indication he’s still under the weather. Cory Joseph was dealing with “lung crud” (Dwane Casey’s words) last week but never seemed a threat to miss time. Norman Powell and Bruno Caboclo are currently on the NBA, not D-League roster, though that could change Saturday.
In other words, the Raptors could have a #FullSquad for the first time since their west coast road trip in mid-November. As a reminder, here’s what that would look like:
PG: Lowry, Joseph, Wright
SG: DeRozan, Ross, Powell
SF: Carroll, Johnson, Caboclo
PF: Scola, Patterson, Bennett
C: Valanaciunas, Biyombo, Nogueira
The Raptors were scheduled to fly out of Toronto to Milwaukee on Friday evening. If neither of the starters return Saturday, there are opportunities again Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
