Toronto Raptors: Injuries Could Be Linked To Overuse

Injuries could be a significant factor in how far the Toronto Raptors go this summer.

Injuries are unavoidable in the NBA. While it isn’t considered a contact sport, every minute of every game presents the opportunity for a player to suffer a significant injury. But there are ways to minimize the risk of injuries, including monitoring minutes and resting against weaker teams towards the end of the season.

Another way to prevent the likelihood of serious injuries is not allowing players to play heavy minutes, if at all, through an injury that requires rest to heal. The Toronto Raptors have not consistently followed any of these methods throughout the season and it’s put them in a position where injuries could dramatically impact the team’s playoff success.

With no return in sight for DeMarre Carroll, the Raptors are faced with the reality that their biggest offseason signing may not be available to him for the rest of the season and playoffs. While his injuries were unfortunate and likely impossible to completely prevent, the evidence seems to point to the way he was used while hurt causing further damage to his health.

Carroll had sat three straight games due to plantar fascitis.

Plantar fascitis, an inflammation of the soft tissue in the foot, is excruciatingly painful and the only way to truly allow it to heal is rest. In the nine games he played after his brief rest, Carroll averaged a staggering 36 minutes a game.

It seems fair to speculate that playing that many minutes with a serious foot injury would cause him to compensate in ways that could have led to the knee trouble that required surgery to repair and according to Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun, that’s exactly what the belief is with people around the team:

"One thing that appears to be clear is that the plantar fasciitis Carroll had earlier this year made him compensate a bit and that led to the knee trouble that required surgery."