Everything Derozan

[Chr1s1anL]

I think you are trending on RR today. How does it make you feel?

Pretty good. What people say doesn't bother me cause I know they wouldn't say it my face. Internet gangster don't bother me.

[Barolt]

Deng. He isn't the same player he used to be.

If we face the Heat, Demar should be able to get going. But conversely, it will be much harder for the team to get going and he likely needs to have big games for us to advance.

But there's the same problem as Hill versus the Pacers. Deng's a deadly corner spot-up 3pt shooter.

[A.I]

Deng. He isn't the same player he used to be.

If we face the Heat, Demar should be able to get going. But conversely, it will be much harder for the team to get going and he likely needs to have big games for us to advance.

Deng scored 31 points on 11-13 FG in Game 1. Of course he won't keep it up, but DD won't stop Deng.

[Chr1s1anL]

Westbrook has tons of critics. Kobe had tons of critics. Blake has tons of critics. LeBron might have more critics than the rest of the league combined.

If DeMar needs special treatment to protect a fragile ego/psyche (he doesn't), it's one more knock against him.

It's not about DeMar. It's the message it sends about the franchise's fan base.

[Axel]

Pretty good. What people say doesn't bother me cause I know they wouldn't say it my face. Internet gangster don't bother me.

Well I don't know about the internet gansters part, or that we wouldn't say these things to your face part, but wouldn't it stand to reason that Demar couldn't care less as well?

[Chr1s1anL]

I think Paul George is the most difficult match up for Demar in the East. As a team, the combo of Wade-Deng-Winslow-Whiteside is more challenging for our team, but on an individual level, Demar vs PG is harder than Demar vs Deng or Winslow or Wade.

+1

[Barolt]

It's not about DeMar. It's the message it sends about the franchise's fan base.

That we expect our players who get lots of minutes and touches to be reasonably decent players?

[Axel]

But there's the same problem as Hill versus the Pacers. Deng's a deadly corner spot-up 3pt shooter.

Corner - much easier to stay with someone who only has one area to be concerned with.

Deng scored 31 points on 11-13 FG in Game 1. Of course he won't keep it up, but DD won't stop Deng.

Yes, Deng is still capable, but he isn't a star player or even a very good player anymore. If you are trying to stop Miami, Deng isn't near the top of my concerns and DD has to cover someone.

[Chr1s1anL]

Well I don't know about the internet gansters part, or that we wouldn't say these things to your face part, but wouldn't it stand to reason that Demar couldn't care less as well?

It's not about DD. It's about the other players seeing this in their Twitter accounts.

[Axel]

It's not about DD. It's about the other players seeing this in their Twitter accounts.

You think Durant is worried about the twitterverse talking about another player?

Only high school or immature college kids would be worried about crap like that, and they don't have a choice where they go.

[Scraptor]

It's not that he's playing sub-par. It's that he's playing like he's never played basketball before. And his plan to break out of the funk, is to play right into Indiana's hands and force more shots.

It's surreal to watch such god-awful decision making.

Hell or high water. When your coach doesn't think much of adjustments why would a player who spent five years under his tutelage think otherwise?

Thing is, DeMar has always had some very rough stretches in his career. And it always coincides with him trying to do too much and force things. Last season he said he didn't want to be a one-time All Star, came out of the gates forcing things and ended up regressing from the year prior. Then he got injured and never really figured it out again.

Now he's heading into his first real free agency opportunity. The weight of two major playoff failures is on his back. I expected him to struggle out of the gate. But you either condemn him to being the player from last year, or you think he can loosen up, get into the flow of things, and be a positive contributor the way he was this season.

Just because we beat a team we should be beating with him on the bench doesn't disprove his value (when he plays well). Remember that our entire bench beat their starters on April 8th.

I think he'll turn it around. He's not a naturally high BBIQ guy where the game has come easy to him. So I think he does struggle at first. But he always seems to bounce back eventually. I think he'll figure it out before the end of this series, and will be useful in the next round too.

It's just way too early to give up on the guy. But I think those who gave up on him weren't ever really convinced of his value to begin with.

[ogi]

Derozan is mostly passable on defensive, just don't put him on the top 2 biggest offensive threats on a team

[Nilanka]

It's not about DD. It's about the other players seeing this in their Twitter accounts.

Didn't DeRozan say he's staying away from social media?

[Barolt]

Corner - much easier to stay with someone who only has one area to be concerned with.



Yes, Deng is still capable, but he isn't a star player or even a very good player anymore. If you are trying to stop Miami, Deng isn't near the top of my concerns and DD has to cover someone.

http://stats.nba.com/player/#!/201942/tracking/defense/

DeMar's defensive shot stats so far this playoffs. Guys being guarded by DeMar are shooting 75% on twos and 66.7% on threes.

[Chr1s1anL]

You think Durant is worried about the twitterverse talking about another player?

Only high school or immature college kids would be worried about crap like that, and they don't have a choice where they go.

You'd be surprised. The fact that LBJ shuts down social media in the playoffs is an example. Also most of the Raptors have shutting down there social media account because of all the bashing from the fans after 1 game.