DeMar DeRozan is having a career year that no one saw coming.
Literally no one.
Except maybe him.
Speaking with ESPN.com’s Brian Windhorst, DeRozan talked about how he took exception to preseason NBA player rankings that didn’t even slot him in the top 25:
After his second All-Star season and strong play in the deepest playoff push in Raptors history — he averaged 23 points a game and shot 50 percent from the field — DeRozan was stunned by where he was rated by major media outlets. ESPN’s #NBArank had DeRozan at 30th. The Washington Post ranked him 45th. Sports Illustrated had him at 46th.
“I think it’s B.S.” DeRozan said. “I’m willing to line up against anyone in the league, and it will be toe-to-toe until the end. I believe I’ve proved that. You put in so much work, it’s almost sickening. I watch everything, I read everything. I’ve always been a guy who wants to prove somebody wrong. I wouldn’t rub it in anyone’s face, but that’s my gratification. I’ve seen so many guys’ work ethic, and I know it doesn’t come close to what I’m putting myself through. When you see those rankings, it makes you want to go out and prove it.”
Joke’s on them. On you. On us.
None of us saw this coming. DeRozan has always been the same player in our eyes, albeit to varying degrees of effectiveness. He is a great scorer, particularly deft at getting to the free-throw line and nailing mid-range jumpers. He is an okay passer, capable of orchestrating the occasional pick-and-roll as a makeshift point guard. He can’t shoot threes. He doesn’t ever play the right amount of defense. He was as good as you can be without an outside touch, which, in our eyes, wasn’t all that good—All-Star caliber, but not clear 28 points per game on 48-plus percent shooting good.
Well, DeRozan is making us all eat crow. It would still be nice if he could drill threes and do a better job spacing the floor as an off-ball threat, but, for the first time ever, we can all agree that aspect of the game is nonessential when you do everything else DeRozan does.
