Toronto’s DeMarre Carroll was unquestionably terrible in the Eastern Conference Finals.
He shot just 30 percent overall and 19 percent from three. They brought him in as a “3&D” guy to slow down players like LeBron James, but he didn’t even register as a pest on LeBron’s radar. Heck, at one point Richard Jefferson blew past Carroll on the drive.
But as always, there is context. Remember that Carroll came back from knee surgery just for the playoffs, and that was far from the only injury he was dealing with, reports Bruce Arthur of the Toronto Star.
DeMarre Carroll had a hyperextended elbow, a sprained wrist, a hip pointer, a sprained ankle, and was coming back from knee surgery
— Bruce Arthur (@bruce_arthur) May 28, 2016
Sounds like DeMarre Carroll was gambling ... with his health
— Bruce Arthur (@bruce_arthur) May 28, 2016
Apparently Carroll had everything but leprosy.
Did the gamble pay off? Carroll didn’t play well all playoffs, but the Raptors did reach the Eastern Conference Finals. It depends on perspective.
But Carroll needs to get healthy this summer and earn that $45 million over three years still left on his deal.
