There is no valid reason for why DeMarre “I somehow tricked a GM into thinking I was not merely a system player” Carroll would be the leading scorer in a playoff game. No reason at all. Look at the rosters of the Raptors and Heat. There are about a billion players who I would pick to be the leading scorer of the game before DeMarre. The situation is not entirely without precedent; he was the top scorer in the 5th game of Atlanta’s series against Brooklyn last year. But that was then. That was when he had a perfect system surrounding him, full of ball movement, which allowed him to take advantage of the attention that his other four All-Star teammates (what the frick) received.
There is no such system in place in Toronto. Their system, as far as I can tell, is to have DeRozan and Lowry take turns running pick-and-rolls that don’t lead to anything before chucking up yet another brick. That is not a system where DeMarre thrives. That is not a system where anyone thrives.
Yet here we are. DeMarre Carroll scored 21 points, more than any of the supposed All-Stars littering these team’s respective rosters. It is an occurrence without explanation. There are things that it is simply not given to us to understand.