Raptors' Ross out at least 2 weeks with thumb injury

The Toronto Raptors will be without Terrence Ross for the next two weeks after the swingman sustained a thumb ligament injury.

The team did not give a timetable for Ross' return, but the struggling guard told Eric Koreen of the National Post that he'll be out for at least two weeks.

Ross' injury is further compounded by the iffy health of DeMarre Carroll, who missed the last two games with plantar fasciitis.

Losing both players is putting a heavy strain on the Raptors' thin wing rotation, and it forced oft-benched swingman James Johnson to start at small forward in Tuesday's controversial loss to the New York Knicks.

Furthermore, Ross and Carroll represent two of the Raptors' best 3-point shooters. Their absence leaves Kyle Lowry as the team's only credible deep threat.

Ross has been thoroughly disappointing after putting up a promising 21-point performance in the Raptors' second game of the year. He's averaging 6.3 points and 1.9 rebounds per game while shooting 36.4 percent from the field and 28 percent from deep.

Despite his struggles and continued pattern of inconsistency, Raptors general manager Masai Ujiri awarded Ross with a three-year, $30-million extension on the eve of the rookie extension deadline last Monday.