DeMarre Carroll out for Raptors vs. Heat

The Raptors face an uphill battle against the Miami Heat as starting small forward DeMarre Carroll is out with a heel injury.

Toronto’s prized free-agent acquisition DeMarre Carroll has picked up a heel injury ahead of Sunday’s contest in Miami, and as such will not play for the Raptors. Per Raptors’ beat reporter Mike Ganter, James Johnson has been inserted into the starting lineup in place of Carroll.

Through the first six games for the Raptors, Carroll has been a force, averaging 35.6 minutes and 12.3 points per game. This comes as no surprise after he broke out last season with the Atlanta Hawks, helping them to 60 regular season wins before averaging 14.6 points per game in the postseason. That average was brought down due to the fact that he played through an injury during the Conference Finals.

Carroll’s lockdown defense is what made him a highly sought after free agent at the end of last season, and after the Raptors got swept in embarrassing fashion by the Wizards, they went into the offseason with Carroll as a primary target. He has already proven to make a big difference so far for the Raptors as they currently rank 8th in defensive efficiency.

Surely Carroll spending a Saturday night in Miami had nothing to do with his current state. Either way, the Heat will be looking to capitalize on this injury by coming out strong on Sunday night. They’ve gotten off to a slow start so far at 3-3 considering that some tabbed them as a potential challenger to Chicago and Atlanta in the East. If there was ever a game for the Heat to start a winning run, it’s this one.