PF SPOT UP FOR GRABS, BUT CARROLL GOOD TO GO
After experiencing lingering issues from the knee injury that sidelined him for much of last season, forward DeMarre Carroll pronounced himself 100% healthy at shootaround this morning. If that’s the case it’s obviously a great sign for the Raptors, who saw the impact he brought to the club with his defense, basketball IQ, and ability to stretch the floor at times.
But what’s most promising is the impact he could have on the Raptors lineup in the wake of Jared Sullinger’s injury. Though slightly undersized, Carroll is more than capable of logging heavy minutes at power forward for a team that is suddenly left with the option of either pulling a key reserve away from his valuable role and into the starting lineup (Patrick Patterson), or throwing an untested rookie (Pascal Siakam) into the fire.
With Carroll at full strength, however, it provides Dwane Casey with a more-than-serviceable body who’s able to potentially start at power forward . The move would likely move DeMar DeRozan to small forward, opening the door for Norman Powell or Terrence Ross to get the starting nod as well. The move would make sense given tonight’s matchup, where another undersized four, Tobias Harris, may be getting the starting nod for the Detroit Pisons— an ideal matchup for Carroll.
Either way, Casey will have plenty of possibilities at his disposal, and given we’re so early in the season, he has the luxury to mix-and-match until he finds a formula that works until Sullinger returns in early 2017. Expect Siakam to fill the starting role tonight, but with a short leash, Carroll serving as the insurance policy in case the 27th overall pick looks like a deer in the headlights early.
TEMPERED EXPECTATIONS
While many around the team, myself included, feel the Raptors are well positioned to repeat their success from last season, and should be slight favourites over Boston to repeat as the East’s second-seed by seasons end, you’d be hard-pressed to find the Raptors players or coaching staff getting ahead of themselves prior to their first game.
At shootaround, Kyle Lowry talked about how the mindset of his team heading into this campaign is to “never be satisfied,” adding that “it’s not about what you did, but about what you do.” It was a sentiment echoed by his head coach, as Casey explained, in his patented Kentucky drawl and phrasing, that “last year’s success doesn’t amount to a hill of beans” heading into a fresh season. While the East looks different this season, it’s hard to say that, Celtics and perhaps Pacers aside, it’s nescessarily that much better, yet it’s obviously not a surprise that the Raptors are exercising humility before they’ve played a game.
MARQUEE MATCHUP: BIG MAN BATTLE
Andre Drummond may be the best centre in the Eastern conference, an absolute physical force who stands to offer Raptors starter Jonas Valanciunas a rough night in his first game. Last season versus Drummond and the Pistons, Valanciunas had trouble on the offensive glass, averaging only 1.3 boards in three contests. He’ll have to improve on that number tonight, though given Drummond is the leagues best rebounder— finishing 1st last season with more than 14 per game, while also leading the NBA in defensive rebound rate (34.2%), it may be a tall order for the Raps big man.
Beyond just Drummond, Pistons generally employ an extremely physical style of play, and it’s one that the Raptors are preparing for. “They want to forcefully beat you up, physically beat you up,” Casey said earlier. “If you’re not coming in mentally prepared to go against that they’ll have the advantage. That’s got to be our whole mindset, be physically prepared to go into a battle.”