The Toronto Raptors are not enjoying a dream season. Yesterday they announced the sidelining of two players, DeMarre Carroll and Lucas Nogueira. DeMarre’s knee injury is likely more serious than Nogueira’s tweaked ankle; the Raptors starting small forward is out “indefinitely”. He’s already missed several games with plantar fasciitis, a chronic foot problem. Jonas Valanciunas, of course, has been out since November 22 with a broken finger, meaning two of Opening Night’s starting five, plus a suddenly important backup centre, aren’t playing.
The worrisome aspect of injuries is how they can snowball. It’s not a surprise; players who should be sitting, like Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan, are asked to play just a few more minutes.