Raptors’ Carroll responds to Jae Crowder’s comment

DeMarre Carroll struck back at the Celtic's Jae Crowder's comments about not worrying about the Raptors, stating that his comments are from a young guy that doesn't yet know how to win in the NBA.

In an interview on Thursday, Boston Celtics forward Jae Crowder said that he thinks his team has what it takes to reach the Eastern Conference Finals this coming season, and that he “wasn’t worried about” the three-time defending division champ Toronto Raptors impeding the Celts’ progress. Shortly after the story below was published, Raptors forward DeMarre Carroll was asked about Crowder’s comments during an appearance on SN 590 The Fan.

Here’s what Carroll had to say: “I think it’s a comment from a person who hasn’t been in a playoff situation. When you haven’t been on that level you don’t understand what it takes. Myself, going to back-to-back Conference Finals, I know what it takes. I think it’s a comment from a guy who hasn’t played at that level, sounds like a young [guy] comment.”

Shots fired!

The Golden State Warriors were the big winners in free agency this summer, acquiring the top prize in future Hall of Famer Kevin Durant, while also securing solid talent like projected starting centre Zaza Pachulia on the cheap.

But a close second might be the Boston Celtics, who signed the best big man on the market, Al Horford, to a max deal worth a reported $113 million over the next four years, and selected promising (if unseasoned) rookie small forward Jaylen Brown with the third overall pick in the draft.

Horford, a four-time All-Star, has spent his entire career thus far with the Atlanta Hawks and is coming off of a season in which he played all 82 games and averaged 15.2 points, 7.3 points, 3.2 assists and a career-best 1.5 blocks per game. With Horford manning the middle, the Celtics now boast a low-post threat who can alter the makeup of a game on both ends of the floor. While they may have failed to manoeuvre their No.3 pick (along with a host of young assets already on the roster and any of the 15 draft picks they have over the next three years, seven of them first-rounders) for another all-star level talent, the addition of Horford alone makes the Celtics one of the most improved clubs in the Eastern Conference.

So, naturally, you’d expect spirits to be fairly high in Boston. It’s certainly the case with Boston’s starting small forward, Jae Crowder, who, in an interview on MassLive.com Thursday, touted his team’s chances this season.

“I think our ceiling is the Eastern Conference Finals,” Crowder said, adding that, “Toronto is not a team we’re worried about. I think Cleveland is the top team. That’s what it comes down to.”

The Raptors, obviously, are fresh off an East Finals appearance and have won the Atlantic Division in each of the last three seasons by an average margin of seven wins over second place, which, for the last two years, has been Crowder’s Celtics. While (personal opinion alert) the Raptors are still the safest bet to finish second again in the East, setting up another potential rematch with the Cavs (the consensus top threat in the conference), they certainly haven’t had as eventful an off-season as some of their counterparts like Boston (Horford, Brown), New York (Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, Courtney Lee, Brandon Jennings), and Chicago (Dwyane Wade, Rajon Rondo). It doesn’t mean the Raptors have gotten any better or worse, but it certainly changes the complexion of the East landscape.

While Boston was adding Horford and campaigning for Durant to join him, the Raptors off-season has been highlighted by the re-signing of DeMar DeRozan to a five-year deal that will help keep the Raps’ nucleus of DeRozan/Kyle Lowry/Jonas Valanciunas in tact for at least another year (Lowry has a player option at seasons’ end). The Raptors also signed former Celtics big man Jared Sullinger (essentially the guy Horford is now replacing), and drafted a pair of promising bigs in Jakob Poeltl and Pascal Siakam.

With the Celtics looking poised to at least contend for the division crown this season, the Toronto-Boston rivalry was already going to be heated this season. Here’s hoping Crowder’s barb just added fuel to the fire.

@DaveZarum

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