Everything Derozan

[Barolt]

Every style is "archaic" until someone wins with it.

It wasn't but 3-5 years ago that everyone was saying "jump-shooting teams can't win" and the Warriors went out and did exactly that.

The Warriors won with a historically great jump shooter. You break trends with historically great talent, we don't have that.

[JWash]

There is a slight difference don't ya think?

Plus we are largely attack his decisions and comments, not his resume, as he seems to be doing here.

Dude, people attack everything about Casey. Idk why we're even trying to deny it right now lol, we ALL do it.

Casey is the one guy in the organization that is basically consistently hated and shit on by the fanbase here. At least for DeMar it's split down the middle. There's maybe one or two guys who haven't slung some major shit at Casey.

[JWash]

A coaching change would cripple demars production if that change brought about a new offensive system.

No it would not.

[Superjudge]

The Warriors won with a historically great jump shooter. You break trends with historically great talent, we don't have that.

That aint what the eye test tells me.

Anyone who thinks that team wins by simply shooting and hitting shots is only looking at stat sheets.

Good game being played out in Golden State..... they are winning with flat out skill and better basketball playing.

[Axel]

Hahahhahahaaaaa.

Are you serious. THAT is EXACTLY what he is doing, and he SHOULD.

hahahahahaaaa

It is tickling me with glee that you guys are all salty about this.... but even more so, that I didn't have to be the one to put ya back in your place for once, this time it comes right from the source, and guess what, he is 100% bang on.

Glad to put a smile on the face of the majestic dragon. Casey's comments don't make me salty (par for the course with him), but I admit the comments from other posters about posters annoy me. Us basement dwellers should stick together here.

I disagree that a coach should try and discredit detractors. Coach should be smart enough to talk basketball and why decisions were made or how changes were implemented.

[Barolt]

That aint what the eye test tells me.

Anyone who thinks that team wins by simply shooting and hitting shots is only looking at stat sheets.

Good game being played out in Golden State..... they are winning with flat out skill and better basketball playing.

The stats tell me that 'skill and better basketball playing' can be quantified. As historically great jump shooting and passing.

Their assist rate is insane, their 3pt shooting percentages are insane, and they play at a really high pace for today's game. They turn the ball over a lot, but just don't care because they still generate enough points.

[Snooch]

Every style is "archaic" until someone wins with it.

It wasn't but 3-5 years ago that everyone was saying "jump-shooting teams can't win" and the Warriors went out and did exactly that.

that is an incredible over simplification of it all. (and wasnt it Barkley who stated that Jump Shooting Teams cant win?)


GS has the best defense in the league....that allows their jumpshooting to work...also they have the greteast shooter int he history of the game imo....that goes along ways to, also you have guys that get inside too.. GS is hardly just a jump shooting team

Unless of course, you are implying that demar is the greatest dribble drive swing man in nba history.

[Snooch]

The stats tell me that 'skill and better basketball playing' can be quantified. As historically great jump shooting and passing.

Their assist rate is insane, their 3pt shooting percentages are insane, and they play at a really high pace for today's game. They turn the ball over a lot, but just don't care because they still generate enough points.

their passing rate alone disqualifies them as being considered a jump shooting team imo.

Then there is the defense/transition off of that.

[JWash]

The Warriors won with a historically great jump shooter. You break trends with historically great talent, we don't have that.

The point is that there is no trend for title winning teams other than superstar talent, with the occasional exception of a superstar assembly of players (Detroit in '04). There's no rule for what you have to have at each position. Your center doesn't NEED to be a low-post guy who can give you 20 a night on the block, your PG doesn't need to be a Steve Nash type leading the league in assists, your SG doesn't need to be a sniper from the arc.

There are so many different ways to construct a team. People want to construct these labels for what each position has to be good at and then disqualify a player from ever being a key player on a championship team (like what's done to DeMar) because they don't fit the labels they have created.

[Axel]

Dude, people attack everything about Casey. Idk why we're even trying to deny it right now lol, we ALL do it.

Casey is the one guy in the organization that is basically consistently hated and shit on by the fanbase here. At least for DeMar it's split down the middle. There's maybe one or two guys who haven't slung some major shit at Casey.

Really, don't recall anyone type casting him as a member of a sub-intelligent group of humanity without valid opinions. Will have to look.

Mostly it seems that comments are about his rotations, schemes, adjustments, and comments he makes. It's the equivalent of saying "I think your wrong because..." vs "you're an idiot".

[Barolt]

that is an incredible over simplification of it all. (and wasnt it Barkley who stated that Jump Shooting Teams cant win?)


GS has the best defense in the league....that allows their jumpshooting to work...also they have the greteast shooter int he history of the game imo....that goes along ways to, also you have guys that get inside too.. GS is hardly just a jump shooting team

Unless of course, you are implying that demar is the greatest dribble drive swing man in nba history.

Nah, San Antonio's defense is better than Golden State's by every conceivable metric.

Golden State just has a 68.9% assist rate, 59.6% true shooting(as a team, holy shit), and run at a pace of 101.7 possessions per game. They play fast and hit shots.

[Snooch]

That aint what the eye test tells me.

Are you implying that Demar is a historically great talent? or am I misreading that.....

Anyone who thinks that team wins by simply shooting and hitting shots is only looking at stat sheets.

Good game being played out in Golden State..... they are winning with flat out skill and better basketball playing.

GS plays a COMPLETE game, both ends of the floor, they rebound, the pass unbelievably well....and they can shoot like there is no tomorrow.

[CalgaryRapsFan]

Even the harshest DD critics have never had anything but positive things to say about him as a person, a teammate and a member of the Raptors franchise. His critics have also said, for the most part, that they sincerely hope to be proven wrong because DeRozan has always oozed potential and raw talent, while being such a likable guy.

The frustration was always about whether or not he would ever 'get it', with regards to learning how to 'play the right way' - ie: smart, efficient basketball.

Over the past couple years, there has also been more wiggle room worked into the conversation, openly questioning how much of the decision-making coming under criticism has been his fault or Casey's; the consensus seems to have been a combination of the two.

Going back to the start of his career, off the top of my head, the main observations/criticisms/recommendations have been:

1. Attack the basket aggressively and don't shy away from contact - he's obviously done a great job of improving in this area over the years, as evidenced by his number of drives and free throw attempts.

2. Defense matters too - he'll never be a defensive stopper, he rarely covers the better wing, and he still has mental lapses from time to time, but for the most part he's become an average defender with an improving awareness of blocking the passing lanes.

3. Shooting guards need to shoot the 3 well - this was probably the one area where critics wrote him off, and over the past month or so he's shown signs of improvement. His 3 point shot is still a work in progress, but this is one area where his critics (and some of his supporters too) are likely to be proven wrong... hopefully!

4. Scoring efficiently - for years the biggest complaint was about forcing his game and taking bad shots, including an unhealthy reliance on what was statistically the worst shot in basketball - the dreaded long-2. This also happens to be one of the biggest differences in his game this season, and the one area where his critics can counter #provem with #toldyouso.

5. One dimensional scorer - similar to #4, this was also one of the biggest complaints about DeRozan for years. A player simply can't be a net-positive contributor to the team if their only contribution is inefficient scoring. DeRozan has definitely shown signs of becoming a more complete player (ie: assists and rebounds), who can make his teammates better and generate more efficient scoring opportunities for the whole team. This is still a work in progress, but this was the area where he teased over the years with glimpses of greatness; this is also an area where Casey and his stupid role-cards also took a lot of the blame. Taking the next step in this area (ie: do it more and do it consistently, every game) is what DeRozan needs to do to in order to earn the max-contract that he's likely to receive this offseason.


I would never try to take credit for DeRozan's turnaround, because I've never had the opportunity to get in his ear. However, there is a certain level of justification to see him blossoming into a better/star player, for improving his game mainly by addressing the very issues his critics have been harping about. DeRozan is a player that is easy to cheer for, but has been so damn frustrating to watch over the years.

If he can continue to show that he can improve these facets of his game, which most of his critics had hoped for, while also proving critics wrong with a consistently reliable 3pt shot (#provem indeed), then I would be one happy converted critic. Consistency is key, moving forward.

[Miekenstien]

Man, I wish I had the time to just pull up some the quotes from this thread over this pass summer. From some of you guys. Pure gold!

how do you not?

[Joey]

A coaching change would cripple demars production if that change brought about a new offensive system.

To say this so definitively is just silly though. Unless you could perhaps back this up somehow?