Raptors open Thursday against Bulls
Even the shortened NBA preseason has been too long for DeMar DeRozan.
“It sucks,” DeRozan summed up Tuesday.
The Toronto Raptors star said his goal to begin every season is to be a better player than the previous one. He hinted he’s only shown a glimpse of his game in the pre-season, which was shortened by two weeks under the new collective bargaining agreement. But the lights will be cranked up high and every seat filled when the Raptors open the regular-season — finally — Thursday night against the visiting Chicago Bulls.
DeRozan can’t wait to get real.
“(It’s tough) just waiting for the real thing, especially when you’re a competitor,” DeRozan said. “I kind of let it show opening night. That’s when, as a competitor, when them lights come on, you put that jersey on, you tie them shoes up a little bit tighter than you would during the pre-season, you understand what’s at stake. That’s how I approach it.”
The 28-year-old, who’s heading into his ninth season with Toronto, said the pre-season is about finding a rhythm, and players often “coast” by necessity.
“You’re not going to play that much, you’re not going to play your regular style, you’re not going to shoot the same amount of shots, you’re not going to do everything you do in a real game,” he said. “You kind of have no choice but when the real thing comes around to be completely ready.”
DeRozan, who averaged a team-high 27.3 points a night last season, was unimpressed when Sports Illustrated slotted him in 36th in their annual pre-season player ratings — he tweeted “F SI...#ProveEm.”
But his season goals, he said, are never about measuring himself against others, and they’re not about certain point totals.