Carroll returns to face team that launched his career

Josh Lewenberg

TSN Raptors Reporter

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TORONTO - Clearly DeMarre Carroll, the self-proclaimed Junk Yard Dog, doesn't lack in the showmanship department, but there's a certain part of him that seems uncomfortable with all the attention he's getting - and anticipates getting - ahead of his return to Atlanta on Wednesday.

"It's one of those things that's going to drag out," said the Raptors forward after Tuesday morning's practice, making every effort to steer the conversation back to the importance of this match-up between two of the Eastern Conference's top teams. "It's going to be going on all day. So just get it over with, man, get it behind me. I'm happy where I'm at, I'm happy to be here. This is my team now, the Toronto Raptors."

It's just another game, Carroll insisted - the ultimate in sports cliches for those about to face their old club and, in that sense, he's right. Players return to their former stomping grounds all the time. It's rarely a big deal. So, why is this any different?

The Hawks altered the course of his career. Carroll spent two years playing in Atlanta, where he went from a journeyman - suiting up for four teams in his first four seasons - to the $60-million player that Toronto aggressively recruited this summer;  the player that was brought in to help change the team's culture and fix their broken defence.

In two seasons with the Hawks, Carroll started all but one game and logged nearly twice as many minutes as he played in his first four years combined. He averaged 11.8 points, including a career-best 12.6 last year, and shot 48 per cent from the field, hitting 38 per cent of his three-pointers.

"I think Atlanta gave me a great opportunity to be where I'm at now," the 29-year-old said. "They gave me the opportunity to expand on my game and show everybody how I play. So it's a great feeling going back there."

Carroll first came to Atlanta as a free agent in the summer of 2013 after showing flashes with Utah Jazz the year prior. It was an under-the-radar signing late in the off-season. At the time, he had a career scoring average of 4.2 points. He had hit just 28 per cent of his threes. He was a hard-nosed defender but, in a league that values versatility, he didn't offer much else.

Fastforward a couple years later - the Raptors were one of several teams to make Carroll a top priority this past summer. They were the first to make contact with the veteran forward, offering him a four-year deal just after the market opened on July 1. He was one of the first free agents to sign on the dotted line.

Carroll's Hawks had won 60 games in 2014-15, but both parties understood it was time to move on. With Paul Millsap, an All-Star, also hitting free agency and ultimately commanding a three year, $59-million deal of his own, Carroll knew he was going to be the odd man out in Atlanta. He doesn't harbour any hard feelings. Things didn't work out too badly for him, after all.

What did he get out of his experience in Atlanta?

"His contract, plain and simple," said the always candid Patrick Patterson. "His contract that he has with us. All the hard work that he's put in throughout his life, his career in the NBA, every opportunity that presented itself and then his stint with the Atlanta Hawks and having success with them, it's allowed him to have this opportunity he has now with us."

And the Raptors couldn't be happier to have him on board. Carroll, a much improved offensive player, is averaging 13.1 points and shooting 38 per cent from beyond the arc, but his best work has come on the defensive end, where he's helped spearhead one of the league's most impressive early-season turnarounds. Twenty-third in defensive efficiency a year ago, Toronto is ranked ninth through 18 games this season - the third-biggest jump in the NBA.

"He's been everything that was advertised," Dwane Casey said of Carroll. "He's a leader by example, he's one of our hardest workers and one of our toughest guys defensively."

Casey went on to praise Carroll's basketball IQ.

"That's what he brought us, a defensive presence, a defensive personality, a guy who thinks defence but on the other end too he can shoot the three-ball," Casey continued. "He's a very capable scorer without a lot of plays called for him. He didn't have any plays called for him in Atlanta, didn't have any plays called for him in Utah. We have a couple of sets in for him now but mainly he's scoring off of other players, which takes a very smart player to do and he's doing that."

Patterson agreed with his coach's assessment.

"We knew he was going to be great defensively, relieving pressure for DeMar (DeRozan), putting him on the best scorers," Patterson echoed Casey. "We knew he was going to take care of that on the defensive side of the ball and, on offence, he's been tremendous. He's been hitting open shots, he's been keeping us in games, cutting to the basket, spacing the floor out, relieving the pressure by being able to attack and dribble. He's been a blessing on defence but on offence he's made a big impact for us."

After missing three games with plantar fasciitis - a lingering foot condition - last month, Carroll is starting to feel like his old self again, but he's still adjusting to his new surroundings. Although his three-point percentage is on par with what the Raptors were expecting, he's been inconsistent from long range. He's also shooting just 40 per cent from the field. With time, the hope is that he'll find more of a comfort zone playing alongside DeRozan, Kyle Lowry and the injured Jonas Valanciunas on offence, learning where his shots will come from while continuing to elevate the team's level of play defensively.

"Just understanding the personnel, understanding the players, new coaches, all those types of things play a factor," he said. "It's a learning experience because you've got to understand on the floor where you're going to get your shots or what you've got to do to be productive offensively and, on defence, you've got to understand where you can help and where you can gamble at. So it's a whole learning experience, but it's a great experience for me and I'm happy to be here."

To say that he owes his success to the Hawks would be unfair. He is here because he's worked for it - he's earned it. Many players throughout professional sports have been given an opportunity that they are either unable or unwilling to taking advantage of. Atlanta gave Carroll a platform to showcase his ability and he deserves all the credit for running with it.