NBA Hits and Flops of the Week (March 28th-April 3rd)

Hit: Raptors forward DeMarre Carroll going to ramp things up to make return

DeMarre Carroll

There has been no timetable on DeMarre Carroll’s return since he had knee surgery in late January however Head Coach of the Toronto Raptors Dwane Casey believes the final three games of the season will be crucial to determining his status for the Playoffs.

“The last three or whatever games there are when he comes back we will use those as his test lab,” Casey said.

Toronto has six games remaining in the season with the next three against the Charlotte Hornets, Atlanta Hawks and the Indiana Pacers. On the other hand, the final three games are kinder with opponets like the Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks and the Philadelphia 76ers.

According to Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun, Carroll is expected to spend more time on the practice courts and at shootarounds in order to get him in regular playing form by the time the Playoffs begin.

The news is great for a Raptors squad that would be looking to make their way to the Eastern Conference Finals this season but they understand the importance of Carroll to their team is huge and what he brings to the table defensively.

The idea is to make him play the next three games under minutes restriction then ask Carroll to spend a lot of time in practice to recuperate in order to play regular minutes in the last three games, when Toronto plays non-Playoff teams.