How Will Toronto Raptors Handle Early Season Injuries?
The Toronto Raptors’ depth will be tested early in the season, as the team announced on Sunday that Jared Sullinger will undergo surgery to have a screw inserted into his foot and will miss an extended period of time.
Just like last season when DeMarre Carroll missed the start of the year with a knee injury, the Toronto Raptors will once start the season without their top free agent signing from this past summer, as Jared Sullinger is expected to miss an extended period of time with a foot injury.
Sullinger, 24, signed a one-year deal with the Raptors this offseason and was expected to be the team’s starting power forward this upcoming season. But the 6-foot-9, 240 pound power forward has been sidelined since getting his foot stepped on during the team’s first exhibition game against the Golden State Warriors on October 1st.
The team was optimistic that Sullinger would be ready for the start of the season, regularly describing his status as day-to-day, but his foot has apparently not responded to treatment and the former Ohio State Buckeye will now undergo surgery on Monday to have a screw inserted into the fifth metatarsal of his right foot.
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There is no timetable for Sullinger’s return, but he is expected to miss an extended period of time, which could be as much as a quarter of the season, if not more.
For Toronto, and Sullinger, this is a major blow. The Raptors are already dealing with injuries to backup centre Lucas Noguiera (ankle sprain) and shooting guard Terrence Ross (knee), so their depth will be tested early on. Rookies Jakob Poeltl and Pascal Siakam will likely be called upon if Noguiera is unable to suit up for Wednesday’s opener against the Detroit Pistons, while Norman Powell will likely see an expanded role if Ross is limited.
While the injuries to Noguiera and Ross are not considered to be serious, the injury to Sullinger is and it will directly affect the Raptors’ rotation.
Sullinger was not only expected to take over for Luis Scola at the starting power forward position, he was also expected to help provide backup centre minutes until Noguiera, Siakam or Poeltl became more comfortable with the NBA game.
Now the Raptors will have to get creative with their rotation in order to compromise for their undermanned roster. Siakam, who started at power forward for the team’s final three preseason games, will likely step into the starting power forward role, but the team will lean heavily on Patrick Patterson, who is in a contract year.
The injury to Sullinger could also mean that the Raptors will revisit the idea of playing Carroll as a stretch-four. Health is the top priority for Carroll this season, but given the team’s current situation, Toronto’s Junk Yard Dog 2.0 could be called upon to take on a larger role until the roster becomes healthy.
It’s an unfortunate situation to be in, especially before the regular season even tips off, but it’s a reality for the Raptors. Toronto’s young big men will have to grow up in a hurry now, and if role players like Carroll and Patterson struggle early on, Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan will more than likely be forced to carry the Raptors early on this season.
Don’t get me wrong I love what Patterson brings to the Raptors, but, hey, it’s not like the starting power forward position has been a strength for Toronto since Chris Bosh left, so this newfound hole is par for the course, right?
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With the Raptors playing three games in five nights to start the season, it will be interesting to see how this team responds to early season adversity.