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Carroll opens up about injuries during 1st season with Raptors

Rick Madonik / Toronto Star / Getty

While the Toronto Raptors recently finished up their most successful campaign in franchise history, not every player on the team enjoyed a career year.

After signing a four-year, $58-million contract last summer, starting small forward DeMarre Carroll struggled with consistency during his first season in Toronto, which he attributes to the multitude of injuries he suffered.

Carroll opened up about his inaugural year north of the border in his personal blog, writing that his season turned for the worse after sustaining a knee injury during a mid-November game against the New Orleans Pelicans.

"We all thought it was just a little sprain," he wrote. "My pain tolerance is so high just because of what I've been through in my life. (Being shot, my liver condition, broken nose and pinky, etc.) I kept playing knowing my knee was swollen and it didn't seem to get any better."

The injury eventually forced Carroll out of the lineup at the beginning of January, and he missed the next three months recovering.

"I knew playoffs was the biggest reason behind my signing," he continued. "I had all these things running through my mind. I told myself … if I can walk, then I can play. Days leading to my deadline, I told everybody I will play. I knew my knee was not fully recovered but I was not going to let anybody down."

Not only did Carroll's knee never fully recover, but he also picked up several other ailments during the postseason, which only exacerbated his problems. In 20 playoff contests, Carroll averaged 8.9 points and 4.1 rebounds, shooting just 39.6 percent from the field.

While Carroll admits he failed to play up to his standards, he doesn't have any regrets about returning early, especially after going on another deep postseason run.

"I understand the risk I put my body in but I felt the risk was worth the reward," he added. "I felt I owed this not only to my team but to the City and Country all I could give. I say this 'I gave all I could give' because my body was not at its best but my HEART was at its best. If I had to do it all over, I would risk my body again for this City, Country, and for this team."

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