The Raptors have received fine play from almost everyone so far, but there’s been one big disappointment – DeMarre Carroll.
The Toronto Raptors are off to a sparkling 4-1 start to the new NBA season. Scoring leader DeMar DeRozan has been the marvel of the league. Kyle Lowry has endured a few shaky outings but seems to be back in command. Jonas Valanciunas is making haste slowly. Pascal Siakam has acquitted himself admirably, not only by making the big team but by grabbing the starter’s job at power forward.
That’s a ton of good news, and there’s got to be bad somewhere. Indeed there is – small forward DeMarre Carroll has looked lost.
No good news so far
We all agreed to give Carroll a mulligan in his first Raptors season. He was crippled by injuries and played only 26 games, averaging 11 points per game . So what’s the problem this year? Whispers continue about a chronic knee issue. He sat most of the second half against Miami. Was he in pain, or benched because of poor play?
In a way, it doesn’t matter. DeMarre is scoring at a fraction of his career rate and isn’t making a contribution in other facets of the game. His defensive play has been adequate, but no more. His floor-spacing capabilities are hardly in evidence. They would be particularly valuable in the context of the DeRozan-centric Raptors offense, as a punishment when teams double up on DD.
I’m quite sure I don’t want to hear about a small sample size either. If he’s going to be pushed to the second unit, let’s make the move sooner than later. Five games have been enough to be tested and found wanting.
Terrence Ross hasn’t been great so far, although his last two games have been encouraging. He’s hit some shots, and I’ve really liked his energy on the glass and on D. He’s made some memorable steals, and is second behind Lowry for the team lead at 1.6 PG.
Let’s remember Carroll was a career backup until he arrived in Atlanta, already a 5-year NBA veteran. Coming off the bench will hardly be a shock to him. In fact, if he really does have a nagging injury, fewer minutes might be a relief.
Conclusion
I suppose the tired argument could be rolled out that you shouldn’t mess with a winning formula. Yeah, well, phooey on that. Such a position is little more than mysticism and superstition.
I have no reason to believe coach Dwane Casey is considering this move, and as a Raptors fan, I hope I’m wrong about Carroll. If he’s going to get more starts, we’ll all cheer should he rediscover his shooting touch and ability to slash to the basket. But I’m deeply skeptical and am therefore hoping coach has the…um…intestinal fortitude to name Terrence Ross as his starting small forward for the next ten games.
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