DeMarre Carroll will sit out "a while" according to coach Dwane Casey

Whenever the words "injured" and "a while" are tossed around, it's hard not to cringe. But that's been the case regarding the Raptors' DeMarre Carroll as he's missed the past two games with a knee contusion (or bruise).

Speaking with reporters on Monday after the Lakers game, Carroll said he hurt his knee in the Clippers game on November 22nd. He tried playing on it for a few games but ultimately decided to shut it down.

Now, coach Dwane Casey had this to say today on the Sportsnet 590 The Fan:

"He's still out. He's going to be a while," Casey said Friday on The Jeff Blair Show on Sportsnet 590 The Fan. "He's working diligently. He's trying to get back with us and get that knee stronger. I definitely don't know when it's going to be."

Casey was quick to praise the bench unit that has filled in admirably in Carroll's absence, mentioning Cory Joseph, Patrick Patterson, James Johnson and, yes, Terrence Ross. The Raptors have gone 3-2 in games in which Carroll has sat.

Regardless, the loss of Carroll, coupled with Jonas Valanciunas' ongoing six week rehab, is a big hit to the Raptors. We all remember what happened last year after DeMar DeRozan went down with a quad injury, missed 20 games, and too much of the team's offensive and defensive burden was placed on Kyle Lowry's shoulders.

On the season, Carroll is averaging 12.2 points and 5.1 rebounds a game. While his defense has been routinely great, he's shooting a poor 39 percent from the field. However, when you consider a knee injury and the plantar fasciitis Carroll's been battling this season, that number starts to make sense.

You can read the rest of what Casey had to say here.

What's left for the Raptors to do now?