Raptors’ DeRozan nominated for NBA’s Dunk of the Year

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DeMar DeRozan throws down a vicious dunk in the closing seconds of the game vs. the Pistons. (Brian Sevald/Getty)

DeMar DeRozan may not have the hops he did when he first came into the NBA almost nine years ago, but that doesn’t mean the Toronto Raptors all-star can’t still throw down.

DeRozan entered the NBA as a raw high-flyer and took part in back-to-back dunk contests in 2010 and ’11, which included fine work like this:

One more time in super slow-mo:

As his game has evolved, DeRozan’s dunking has taken something of a backseat. But there are notable exceptions.

Take, for instance, his clutch two-handed throwdown against the Detroit Pistons last month to give the Raptors a one-point lead in the closing seconds of regulation in a narrow 121-119 overtime victory.

On Wednesday, we learned the jam has been named a nominee for the NBA’s Dunk of the Year, one of numerous awards — including Block of the Year, Clutch Shot of the Year, Assist of the Year and Handle of the Year — that will be voted on by fans on NBA.com and on Twitter by posting #AwardName and first/last name of their winner.

The winner of each category will be revealed during the Western Conference Finals and will serve as the finalists for the Play of the Year, another award voted on by fans that will be unveiled at the NBA Awards on June 25.

DeRozan’s dunk is impressive, sure, but likely cracks the list because of the circumstances in which it was executed.

As you can see below, the Raptors star faces stiff competition. Hey, sometimes it’s an honour just to be nominated.

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