Everything Derozan

[The Great One]

The DeMar era is an interesting one because it does seem clear that he's not really good enough to the best player on an excellent team (on this above average team he is the 2nd best though sometimes including lately he supplants Lowry) but that doesn't mean he can't be a very useful starter with the right star. His defense/rebounding and playmaking (Especially court vision) have gotten so much better the last two seasons that it really warrants mentioning. Like he was pretty much a useless non offensive player for several years and has made significant strides to where he is above average in all these respects imo.

He's had a rough shooting season but there are some signs that its coming around especially his FT rate (which will give him more open shots).

Ultimately, I don't get why people don't want to resign him or want to trade him. DeMar is not and will not be what stops us from getting a franchise player, and he will be a key piece for contention once that franchise player arrives.

Did you just called this team an above average team?

This is an average team led by 2 borderline all stars. You put this team in the Western Conference and they'd be up there with Pelicans and Suns fighting for the 8th eed.

[KHD]

Emotional stance? lol. I call myseld as a pretty fair poster. No BIAS no BULLSHIT. I call it the way i see it. Always have been always will. Whether y'all like it or not.

lmfao

[Jrice9]

Did you just called this team an above average team?

This is an average team led by 2 borderline all stars. You put this team in the Western Conference and they'd be up there with Pelicans and Suns fighting for the 8th eed.

Above average means simply that, better than average.

The Raptors are better than the 15th team in the league. Being 8th in the West is being above average at this point.

The Raptors are worse than 3 teams in the East and imo 6-7 teams in the West (OKC gets its injured addition unfortunately and are thus worse imo, and while the stats/record don't entirely back me up I think the Raptors is better than the Maverics, though this questionable).

Even if you give all the top 8 teams in the West (and include oKC's help), the Raptors would still be the 12th best team which is above average.

You're nitpicking.

[Chr1s1anL]

No way aldridge leaves blazers to come to a lesser team. As for Cousins, it's going to take a significant haul to get him.

Do you think LA has better chance to make the finals through the East or the West?

DMC would take a huge haul but, I think JV/Ross plus that NYK/DEN pick should get it done. It's already been rumoured that Masai was willing to trade Ross and JV for a superstar.

[MACK11]

Do you think LA has better chance to make the finals through the East or the West?

DMC would take a huge haul but, I think JV/Ross plus that NYK/DEN pick should get it done. It's already been rumoured that Masai was willing to trade Ross and JV for a superstar.

That's not enough for DMC

Ross is a bench player, that Denver/New York pick is an unknown asset it could be a top 10 pick or not even in the lottery at all. And JV is a defensive liability according to you.

So why would Sacramento trade a super star like DMC for that package?

[hotfuzz]

Do you think LA has better chance to make the finals through the East or the West?

DMC would take a huge haul but, I think JV/Ross plus that NYK/DEN pick should get it done. It's already been rumoured that Masai was willing to trade Ross and JV for a superstar.

Why would Kings do that? JV is a scrub according to people here, Ross is inconsistent as f and no idea where that pick might fall.

[Jrice9]

Do you think LA has better chance to make the finals through the East or the West?

DMC would take a huge haul but, I think JV/Ross plus that NYK/DEN pick should get it done. It's already been rumoured that Masai was willing to trade Ross and JV for a superstar.

LA seems like a pipe dream, I have my doubts he leaves Portland and if he does one of the Texas teams (Dallas or Houston more than SA) seem more likely. I get your East v West argument but it hasn't seemed to affect free agency at all in recent years.

That's not enough for DMC

Ross is a bench player, that Denver/New York pick is an unknown asset it could be a top 10 pick or not even in the lottery at all. And JV is a defensive liability according to you.

So why would Sacramento trade a super star like DMC for that package?

I think your underselling the Knicks/Denver pick. I think given its unprotected nature (other than I guess it can't be number 1 due to swaps) and the fact that both those teams seem very likely not to be playoff teams, its a highly valued asset.

JV is also a top 50 asset in the league imo, Ross is worth something with his upside if not a ton.

Is that enough to land Cousins? I'm not sure. I doubt Sac wants to move on from him at all but I'm curious what better packages could be named (I'm not sure any Boston package for instance is better than that) especially if the Raptors agreed to throw in some of their other picks/Bruno/Bebe

[JawsGT]

The bold is the death of all chat forums everywhere.

The second part is ridiculous. Is the performance last night sustainable? Hell no. That was a career night. Why not just congratulate him? I am pretty sure everyone has. But why not question the sustainability? This is a guy who views himself as an all-star. He has stated the reason he is not an all-star this season is due to injury. So if you view yourself as an all-star and your coach treats you like an all-star, why shouldn't a fan expect consistent all-star performances? As for the figuring it all out, he is in his 6th NBA season and will be 26 this summer, it is time to put up in your prime.

C'mon man, I think that's pretty clear no? I mean, how can anyone expect consistent all-star performances out of any of our players employing the system we do? Not even Lowry could last.

I understand the criticism of Demar's game as his decision making is sometimes questionable especially with regards to shot selection. But this is the position he has been put in by the coaching staff and he is doing what is expected of him, he's just not getting the results that will satisfy most fans and posters here. Unfortunately, I don't know how anyone can expect him to perform at a satisfactory level under these conditions. The dude runs off a stretch of games getting 7+ assists or some shit, and the coach comes out saying that he's got to score more cause that's what he's here for.

So if there is a way for Demar to satisfy both the fan critics and the coaching staff, then I'd like to hear it.

Casey takes so much shit on these forums, I'm surprised critics of Demar continue to lay his inefficiencies at his feet, and not the coaches. If you don't believe Demar can thrive under a different coach and different system, then I don't know what to tell you.

[Axel]

I hope so. At this point, the two biggest negatives related to DeRozan are his contract status (uncertain future) and DC (promoting hero-ball).

Looking back as far as his rookie and sophomore season, the biggest complaints against DeRozan have been:

1. Goes soft to the basket and shies away from contact. HUGE improvement - I loved the way he stopped forcing his shot last night and attacked the basket relentlessly in the second half especially!

2. Poor 3pt shooter. Still not great, despite focusing on it during at least three offseasons, but has looked better lately. He also seems to be understanding where he's at his best (corner 3's and between corner and elbow), which I appreciate.

3. Weak handles. He focused on them this past offseason and while they've improved, there's times he still dribbles way too much and/or dribbles into traffic. His improved court vision has really helped offset some of his handle issue - though his new habit of dribbling into traffic in the key, jumping and turning in mid air, has really got to stop.

4. Poor defender. Although he still gets lost at times in DC's defense, I don't put that all on DeRozan. The few times he's had the chance to go man-on-man, I've actually found that his defense has improved. This is especially the case when matched up against prime players, when DeRozan seems to find an extra gear - one game earlier this season against LBJ and last night against Harden were good examples. Yet another example of a player whose defense looks worse thanks to DC's system.

5. Inefficient, one-dimensional scorer. This was always my biggest beef. I've been most impressed with DeRozan this season when he doesn't force his own game, looks to play facilitator for his teammates and dedicates himself to rebounding. He always seemed to have it in him, but just seemed content looking for his own shot (or even worse, being told to do so). His efficiency numbers could still improve, but I'll cut him a little slack if he consistently gets to the line 8+ times per game. At this point, cutting out 2-5 bad/forced shots really shouldn't even be an issue, and I expect another coach would hold him accountable to do just that.


Even when pointing out the negatives in the past, as a 'hater', it's always been out of frustration/desire for him to play how I felt he was capable of playing. Again, I don't think playing for DC does him any favors on either side of the court, and his contract situation really scares me (either because he could opt-out or because he could wind up getting a contract that takes him from good-value to bad-value, while hand-cuffing the team).

I'm really torn on DeRozan. For me, I think it really comes down to what offers are on the table, which we unfortunately have no honest clue about.

I think this is the only post worth reading in the last x pages of this thread.

[mcHAPPY]

C'mon man, I think that's pretty clear no? I mean, how can anyone expect consistent all-star performances out of any of our players employing the system we do? Not even Lowry could last.

I understand the criticism of Demar's game as his decision making is sometimes questionable especially with regards to shot selection. But this is the position he has been put in by the coaching staff and he is doing what is expected of him, he's just not getting the results that will satisfy most fans and posters here. Unfortunately, I don't know how anyone can expect him to perform at a satisfactory level under these conditions. The dude runs off a stretch of games getting 7+ assists or some shit, and the coach comes out saying that he's got to score more cause that's what he's here for.

So if there is a way for Demar to satisfy both the fan critics and the coaching staff, then I'd like to hear it.

Casey takes so much shit on these forums, I'm surprised critics of Demar continue to lay his inefficiencies at his feet, and not the coaches. If you don't believe Demar can thrive under a different coach and different system, then I don't know what to tell you.

DeRozan has shown ability to make good decisions, be selective in shot attempts, and rebound. I can't place that inconsistency fully on Casey but I do recognize casey's contributions to his awful play.

Like most, I'm interested in what he would do under a different coach offensively. I think we all know his defensive capabilities by now.

Unfortunately, and this is just my opinion, I don't think the risks of him becoming a different player under a new coach, walking for nothing as an UFA, or commanding a $20m+ salary on his next contract are worth keeping him assuming he returns solid value in a trade on draft night or this summer.

If he doesn't return good value in a trade, which is possible, then the Raptors are better off keeping him and letting the chips fall where they may next summer. I'd rather see him walk for nothing than get tied up in an awful contract.

Again....That is just my opinion.

[McRealistic]

After 352 pages, Is there any logical reason out there that why we should not hold on to DD and his bargain contract next year and try to see how he does under new head coach and new system ?

I think anyone without bias and personal agenda will say NO

[Axel]

After 352 pages, Is there any logical reason out there that why we should not hold on to DD and his bargain contract next year and try to see how he does under new head coach and new system ?

I think anyone without bias and personal agenda will say NO

Depends on the offer.

[mcHAPPY]

After 352 pages, Is there any logical reason out there that why we should not hold on to DD and his bargain contract next year and try to see how he does under new head coach and new system ?

I think anyone without bias and personal agenda will say NO

Lol

What is this personal agenda you go on about?

I hate to tell you, I have no sway at MLSE....I wish I did, trust me.

As for my bias, yeah, I hate inefficient chuckers. I've stated i would like to see him under a new coach but I don't like the risks.

[Nilanka]

Lol

What is this personal agenda you go on about?

I hate to tell you, I have no sway at MLSE....I wish I did, trust me.

As for my bias, yeah, I hate inefficient chuckers. I've stated i would like to see him under a new coach but I don't like the risks.

I can't even say that this is a biased opinion. EVERYONE should hate inefficient chuckers.

[CalgaryRapsFan]

Depends on the offer.

And the risk/likelihood of him opting out and the Raptors:
A. lose him for nothing
B. have to shell out max money to keep him

Going through the Gay trade, MU stated how much he dislikes uncertainty. An opt-out clause is essentially the same as a player option, meaning there's huge uncertainty going into next season, barring any back-room conversations going on between MU and DeRozan's people.

DeRozan is far too valuable an asset to risk losing for nothing, especially in the wake of the Bosh fiasco.