Raptors should lean on Powell
And trying to fit him in when the stakes are so large would seem counter-productive.
It would mean relying more on rookie Norman Powell, and it’s impossible to guess how a first-year player will handle the post-season cauldron, but Powell seems impervious to pressure and stress and could provide precisely the role-playing support necessary.
Besides, a rookie who has been playing and fitting in could very well give the Raptors more than a veteran coming back after months of inactivity.
The whole handling of the Carroll issue has been odd and runs counter to the way the franchise has historically acted.
He is the elephant in the room and something of a ghost, seen but not seen, barely spoken of.
Questions about his progress and possible return are rebuffed with non-answers like “when there’s an update, we’ll update you” and Carroll hasn’t spoken publicly in over a month.
With most of each team practice closed to the media, all that anyone has seen Carroll do is go through individual workouts, and team sources say that’s been the extent of his on-court work.
There is no indication anything nefarious is going on, no whispers of physical setbacks. But it has been almost three months since he’s played any real basketball, and with each passing day, suspicion grows something is just not right.
With so many different factions involved — team management, its medical staff, the player, his agent, the coaching staff — there are inher- ent conflicting interests. It’s never a simple process with any player in the NBA, and Carroll is no different than a handful of others whose injuries and recovery seem clouded in secrecy and confusion. Coming out this week and announcing Carroll is finished does two very important, inter-connected things:
One, it clears up the one distracting roster situation that exists when the entire focus should be on getting ready for the playoffs.
Secondly, it sends a clear message to rookie Powell he better be ready for a major post-season role.
It’s not like the Raptors should totally give up on Carroll, as he could be a valuable piece in the future. But this season? Right now? It’s time to cut bait and get on with job at hand with the players at their disposal.