Raptors' DeRozan won't play Thursday; targeting next week for return

The Toronto Raptors won't be getting DeMar DeRozan back after all. At least, not yet. 

While he was reportedly set to make his return Thursday from what's now been an 18-game absence due to a groin tear, Eric Koreen of the National Post reports that DeRozan and the Raptors coaching staff have opted to give the 25-year-old shooting guard a few more practices to work himself back into game shape.  

He is now reportedly targeting next week for his return, though, according to TSN's Josh Lewenberg, there's still a possibility of a return as early as Saturday. 

Lewenberg adds that DeRozan's injury is fully healed and he's been cleared by team doctors, the decision to delay his return is based on the feeling that he doesn't yet have his conditioning up to par. 

The Raptors have fared reasonably well overall in DeRozan's absence – going 11-7 – but their defense has fallen off a cliff, rating 7.7 points per 100 possessions worse than it did before DeRozan's injury and ranking 28th in the NBA since he went down.