Toronto Raptors: DeMarre Carroll Knee Is Still Healing After Last Season

One of the Toronto Raptors’ biggest free-agent signings, DeMarre Carroll, is almost healthy after a injury-filled season.

Last season did not go as planned for DeMarre Carroll. The veteran small forward was to be the piece that allowed the Toronto Raptors to get over the hump. Despite Carroll missing a large part of the season, the team was still able to overcome its first-round woes.

The team achieved a franchise-record 56 wins and made the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time. Carroll was to be a crucial piece in achieving these goals. Now in his second season with Toronto, his presence feels more like a luxury.

Monday was media day for the Toronto Raptors. With media day, it allowed Carroll and the team an opportunity to shed some light on the status of his knee in advance of the 2016-2017 season.

While it’s disappointing that Carroll isn’t yet at 100 percent, it’s good that the swelling has gone away. The team showed last season that they were able to withstand Carroll missing time. That means should they need to bring him along slowly, they are more than equipped to do so.

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Getting Carroll healthy and keeping him that way should be a top priority for the Raptors.

When you consider that the Raptors were in the NBA’s final four last season, the lack of attention surrounding Carroll’s status is astounding. There’s an argument to be made that Carroll is the team’s third best player. At least until Jonas Valanciunas takes the next step in his career.

Carroll is a tremendous defensive player and a versatile forward. While an emphasis has been put on teams finding “three and D” role players, there are few that can do both at a high level like Carroll.

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He’s not the type of player that can carry a franchise, as a complimentary piece he can make a major difference for any team. The Golden State Warriors benefited from the presence of Andre Iguodala, who is capable of playing multiple positions on both ends of the floor.

A healthy Carroll can do the same for Toronto. While he may not be able to provide the same play-making as Iguodala, he has proven himself to be much more reliable jump shooter. He also is capable of playing either forward position, which allows Toronto to play smaller.

It remains to be seen how much better the Raptors will be next season, should Carroll manage to stay healthy. With him just beginning to play again recently, it wouldn’t be reasonable to expect him to be himself immediately.

Even if Carroll were to be just a step or two slower than his 2014-2015 campaign, it would make a big difference. Carroll’s final season in Atlanta earned him a 4-year deal worth $60 million.

The Eastern Conference has improved this year. The Boston Celtics are looking to dethrone the Raptors within their division and the team will need to rely on internal growth to keep their standing in the conference.

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The Raptors know what they’re getting when it comes to Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan. But maintaining or building upon their success ultimately will come down to Carroll’s health.