National Basketball Association

Toronto Raptors: Is This The Real DeMar DeRozan?

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

share

facebookxredditlink

foxsports

It’s still early into the season, but DeMar DeRozan looks to have taken the next step as a player.  Leading the league in scoring, the Toronto Raptors guard is experiencing an epiphany to start the year.

“Don’t worry, I got us.” – DeMar DeRozan 06/28/2010

We didn’t know what he meant at the time, nor the significance of it in the grand scheme of things, but for Toronto Raptors fans who had just been scorned by another franchise star who chose to migrate back down south, the sentiment of loyalty resonated with its most vociferous of supporters.

DeMar DeRozan has always been a gym rat — someone who lives in the gym; someone with that “Mamba” work ethic.

The hard work he puts in has also always been evident.  He adds something material to arsenal every summer, and with each passing year, his scoring average and advance output has more-or-less enjoyed a linear growth.

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 11/12/2016.More from Hoops Habit

In many ways, DeRozan represents the blood, sweat and tears of the Raptors.

He’s been there since Day 1 of the post-Chris Bosh rebuild, with Sonny Weems and Ed Davis flanking him as the pillars of the “Young Guns” rebrand.

He’s been there through the Linas Kleizas, the Julian Wrights, and the Ben Uzohs.  He’s outlasted the Andrea Bargnanis and Rudy Gays.

In many ways, DeMar is Toronto.

However, even with his throngs of admirable inherent traits, there’s something about DeRozan’s game that capitulates against modern efficiency standards.

DeMar, at his core, is the poster boy of the old school 2-guard.

He’s never going to be mistaken with the Klay Thompsons of the world.

In contrast, he scores through craft and guile, using screens and pump fakes to create space for his slithery mid-range J — living off of getting to the line through straight line drives and attacking defenders who are out of prime defensive position.

But, with that style, DeRozan never had that Dwyane Wade or Michael Jordan level of dynamic athleticism to elevate him above league-average efficiency.

He has averaged more than 20 points per game year-in and year-out for several seasons now, but his True Shooting percentage had never broke north of .550 until last season, despite posting some gaudy free throw rates.

His mid-range game, while polished, did not always yield the best results.  DeMar has taken nearly half of his field goal attempts from 10 feet-to-3-point line since entering the league, but he never converted said shots at a Dirk Nowitzki-like rate to justify such a high volume of tries.

This season, though, DeRozan has suddenly morphed into the leading scorer of the NBA.  A man who puts up 34.1 points a contest while scoring on a blistering True Shooting percentage of .596.

Just as his slam dunk contest campaign featured the slogan “No Props Needed,” his flight towards the scoring title should be punctuated by a similar phrase: “No 3s Needed.”

More from Hoops Habit

His confidence is through the roof; his footwork is flawless; and, most importantly, he’s been decisive with every move.  Gone are the Kobe Bryant-esque multiple pump fakes, before forcing up a highly-contested 18-foot jumper.

Instead, DeRozan is getting to his spots with his improved ball-handling and just launching (and hitting) with no recourse.

Thus far this year, DeMar is nailing 51.3 percent of his field goal attempts from 3-10 feet, a ridiculous 64.3 percent from 10-16 feet, and 50.9 percent from 16 feet-3 point line.

For comparative purposes, his career averages in those areas are 42.8, 40.7, and 37.8 percent, respectively, per Basketball Reference.

His mid-range output has been simply mind-boggling.  In fact, roughly 51.3 percent of his field goal attempts are from the mid-range areas of the floor, where he makes 54 percent of them and is assisted on only on 22.6 percent of said conversions.

Overall, jumper-shooting in general have been an even bigger part of his offensive repertoire than in years past, as it makes up for nearly 79 percent of his field goal attempts thus far; but, he’s still shooting better than 50 percent (50.6) with only 23.1 percent of them being assisted upon, per NBA.com.

Everything about DeMar DeRozan’s otherworldly production this season screams an extended hot streak.

That is not to say the Compton, Calif., native hasn’t taken the next step as a player, though.  At present, he is posting a career-high usage rate of 37.6.  Without a much more refined and polished handle, his current MJ-/Kobe-level of ball dominance would be impossible.

Yes, he’ll eventually come back down to earth in terms of his mid-range proficiency, but in leveraging on his improved handle and newfound decisiveness alone, DeMar DeRozan’s days as a 30 point per game scorer might just be here to stay.

DeMar DeRozan: the superstar.  He is living proof that hard work truly does pay off.

This article originally appeared on

share

Get more from National Basketball Association Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

in this topic

National Basketball Association