Toronto Raptors: expectations for DeMarre Carroll

When Toronto Raptors GM Masai Ujiri decided to go all out and sign free agent DeMarre Carroll to a four-year, $60 million contract, he made a decision to change his team’s ideology. This summer, Ujiri has signed many players to make the Raptors a more defensive-minded club, none of which are going to be more important than Carroll, who will play a leadership role beside DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry.

Emerging as a key cog in the dominant Atlanta Hawks system last season, Carroll still has a long way to go before he can truly earn his hefty contract, but Ujiri must believe he is still improving. At 28-years-old, he is in his physical prime. Plus, his understanding of the game seamed to soar to new heights last season. Now that he will be shouldering more of his team’s offensive and defensive load than he ever has before, what should fans reasonably expect from their new small forward?

On the defensive end, Carroll is a stud. At 6-8 and 212 pounds, he is strong enough to cover power forwards and quick enough to stick with shooting guards. He has always brought a gritty, determined effort to the court, which makes him an absolute pest for opposing players. Carroll reads offences really well, clogging lanes at key moments. Last season, he averaged 1.3 steals per game, indicative of his quick hands.

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As far as goals for the season, defence is hard to quantify with simple statistics. If Carroll contributed 1.5 steals per game and his usual brand of defensive intensity, fans would have no reason to complain.

Offensively, things get a little tricky for the 27th overall pick from 2009. Carroll showed signs of impressive offensive production last season, but he was essentially the fifth option in Atlanta’s system, so it is hard to tell what he will do when he is regularly given the ball and expected to score. Predominantly as a catch-and-shoot player, Carroll scored 12.6 points per game on 49% from the field and 40% from long-range.

In a show of elite patience and timing, Carroll earned the league’s fourth best 2-point shooting percentage and 17th best 3-point percentage (per basketball-reference.com). His big test is going to be shooting off of his own dribble, which will require more creativity than he has had to muster so far in his career. Carroll may be able to continue his rise into offensive legitimacy by using his athleticism to become a better scorer around the hoop. If he can be effective from inside and outside, there will always be a place for him in a Raptors uniform.

As an added bonus, Carroll can pass effectively (1.3 assists per game last season) and rebound energetically (5.3 rebounds per game last season). When he gets on the court, he likes to be as well-rounded as possible, doing whatever it takes for his team to win. In that vein, for the Raptors to win with Carroll and for Carroll’s contract to be deemed worth the money, he will need to earn 15 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists per game this season.

Even if he can’t prove himself to the fans right away, Carroll has at least three more seasons to show his worth. Hopefully, it will become immediately evident why Ujiri wanted Carroll to come to Canada so badly.

Next: What would Tristan Thompson provide for the Raptors?

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