DeRozan doesn’t feel pressure to score
Raptors have enough offensive weapons to use star guard in other ways
It’s been 10 games since DeMar DeRozan popped one of 30 or more points for the Toronto Raptors, and that seems like an eternity for one of the NBA’s most gifted and consistent scorers.
The guy least concerned about it would be DeRozan himself.
“My scoring is in case of emergency,” he joked after the Raptors worked out Friday. “I’m out there just feeling out the game, letting things come easy, facilitating, find guys, just trying to make my teammates better.
“At the end of the day I know I could score whenever I need to score, and it always comes in case of emergency.”
In this season of offensive transformation for the Raptors, the nine-year veteran is absolutely right. His assists are up, his shot totals are down, the 55-20 team is far less reliant on his sublime offensive skills and everyone, it seems, is OK with how things are playing out given the Raptors are a win away from equalling the best year in franchise history with seven games left.
“It’s great, plus he’s one of our best passers,” coach Dwane Casey said.
“He has the size and the IQ to see over the defence.
“When he has that mentality that’s another sign of (DeRozan’s) growth and our team, the fact he doesn’t have to feel (like he needs to get 30),” Casey said.
“Freddy VanVleet is one of the top three-point shooters in our league and Delon (Wright) is knocking them down, you’ve got (Kyle Lowry) over there, you’ve got Serge (Ibaka) spaced out so he doesn’t have to feel like he has to score every possession, and that just makes us harder to guard because we have a lot of guys that’s capable.”
But make no mistake: Having a veteran wing who can get you 30 on any given night is a luxury every NBA team with championship aspirations needs. And in the cauldron of the playoffs, there will be times when the Raptors need to have their best scorer be their most prolific scorer, as Casey well knows.
“I think he’s going to have to do everything, a little of both, but he has the mentality and understanding of where everyone is on the floor offensively and then he can save a lot of energy to go down the other end, defensive end,” the coach said.
The trickle-down effect is substantial, too. DeRozan’s lightened offensive load should give him more energy to defend — that thought brightens Casey’s eyes — and it’s made it easier to accept because, truth be told, it’s easier to play when you don’t have to do too much every night, a fact DeRozan easily recognized.
“It’s taxing, scoring 30 points a night. It is. I know I did it last year and maybe it seemed easy or whatever but it takes a toll, mentally and physically. So for me I have a great time passing the ball, seeing guys knock down shots, being able to take less shots and be able to win by 10-plus. As long as we win that’s all I care about.”
The Raptors are chasing the Eastern Conference regular season title — and home court throughout the conference playoffs — for the first time ever, and that’s always in the back of their minds and what’s driven the changes in the offence to make it less predictable or reliant on DeRozan and Lowry. They take a three-game lead into a game against second place Boston on Saturday night, and that chase of first overall is paramount.
“Nobody want to come in second, nobody want to come third, nobody want to come fourth, nobody want to come fifth,” DeRozan said. “Your goal is to finish at the top no matter what it is that you’re doing. I play my kids in video games and I wanna win, I don’t care if they’re four years old. You want to win.”