If you had any doubts about the importance of DeMar DeRozan’s present—and future—role on the Raptors, Toronto’s Game 4 win over Cleveland firmly put that to rest.
Down the stretch of Monday night’s 105-99 thriller, during the most crucial possessions in franchise history, and in the face of a fierce, LeBron James-led comeback, DeRozan put the Raptors on his shoulders.
With a little more than seven minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, after erasing what was once an 18-point deficit, James barreled to the basket for a layup to give the Cavaliers their first lead of the game, 84-83. As the most dangerous force in the game gained steam, it appeared the Raptors’ efforts through three quarters would be wasted. For his part, DeRozan answered back with a calm floating jumper to reclaim Toronto’s lead.
Two possessions later, after Cavs guard Matthew Dellavedova put his team up one, DeRozan came up the court, attacked the basket and nailed a tough three-foot floater through contact. The pattern continued. As Cleveland would take a lead, the ball would find its way into the waiting hands of DeRozan, who made four consecutive Raptor baskets. With under four minutes remaining, DeRozan got fouled, made both of his free throws, and the Raptors took a lead they wouldn’t give up.
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Twelve of DeRozan’s 32 points (the second time he reached that mark in as many games) came in the fourth quarter as he as he delivered a truly clutch performance on the biggest stage of his life.
Questions surrounding DeRozan’s legitimacy as a max player were put to rest ages ago—when his contract is up this summer and he declines his player option worth $10 million he will absolutely receive a max-money deal worth north of $20 million per season.
But the bigger, far more complicated question in Raptorland has been whether or not it should be the Raptors and MLSE who sign the cheque.
Until Monday night, when DeRozan answered it for all of us. (for anyone with limited powers of deduction, that answer is: hell yes).
I wrote as much last summer when the writing was on the wall regarding DeRozan’s contract situation. My logic then was simple: Recognize growth and reward character. Having seen the tireless extra work DeRozan puts in firsthand (unsurprisingly, he was at the Air Canada Centre until 1 AM on Sunday putting up 1,000 shots before going home), and having spent time over the years around his surprisingly tiny inner circle of family and friends for this Sportsnet magazine profile, I walked away with a decent idea of what drives the two-time all-star. It’s a wonderfully simple ethos: To get better at basketball and bring the Raptors franchise back to NBA relevancy. And the man with ‘Loyalty’ tattooed on his non-shooting hand wanted to reward the Raptors for drafting him and then believing in him enough to offer him a four-year extension back in 2011.
Yet having seen him improve before our eyes and consistently perform at a high-level for the last three years, it’s easy to lose perspective and take what DeRozan provides for granted.
It’s why I asked Sportsnet’s insider, Agent X — an active NBA agent with a client list that includes former teammates of DeRozan — to weigh in earlier this season, and share some insight in terms of DeRozan’s perceived value based on conversations around the league:
In the NBA, the security of having someone on the perimeter that you know is going to play 75-plus games, usually cover the other team’s best perimeter player and demand to be covered by the other team’s best defender is huge. Consistency in the NBA is the hardest thing to attain.
If Toronto doesn’t think he is a max player, there are 21 teams in the NBA with max money who are not going to get Kevin Durant this summer. You can bet their second call will be to DeMar.
The caveat was always that DeRozan had to perform during the 2016 playoffs. If he were to lay an egg—the worst-case scenario for both DeRozan and his team—then of course you’d be hesitant to toss $20+ million per year in his direction.
Cue the first round and some well-deserved second-guessing. Through the first six games of the series vs. the Pacers, DeRozan shot just 32% from the field, averaging less than 16 points per game—well below the 23.5 he averaged during the season (tied with Russell Westbrook for 8th in the NBA).
“It seems like a while ago when we were against Indiana,” DeRozan remarked after Monday’s game. And does it ever— partway through the first round, barstool conversations around Toronto had fans seriously considering scenarios where rookie Norm Powell gets a promotion, Bismack Biyombo returns, and the Raptors re-tool next season without DeRozan.
Like he said, seems like a while ago.
Now? With the lights brighter than they’ve ever been around he or his team, DeRozan is providing everything you want from a go-to player. While Kyle Lowry deserves all the credit in the world for his Game 4 heroics (35 points), DeRozan’s steady hand has been vital to the Raptors’ success, improbably bringing their Eastern Conference Finals series to a 2-2 draw heading into Wednesday’s Game 5 in Cleveland.
DeRozan’s stellar scoring forced the Cavs to make a switch prior to Game 4 and put James on him as a primary defender. It helped contain DeRozan in stretches early, but also inadvertently opened up opportunities for his teammates; the threat of DeRozan kept James nearby, which stopped LeBron from freely roaming the court on defense. It’s the kind of residual effect a true star player provides: To threaten and disrupt defences and open up opportunities for teammates without even having to score.
The bigger question in Raptorland has now shifted to centre Bismack Biyombo, who is due for a sizeable raise this summer, and for whom a return to the Raptors is less likely, unless Toronto gets creative on the trade market (even then, they’ve most likely been priced out on Biyombo, especially if DeRozan returns). But let’s enjoy this run and get to that later—it’s a conversation that we’ll all have many more times between now and the beginning of free agency.
DeRozan has been a frustrating player at times, there’s no question. He’s not an efficient shooter and takes too many contested long-twos. He’s a much better defender, but still not a master, and he still has room to grow as a ball-handler.
But he’s also an elite scorer who gets to the line and converts with more frequency than 99 per cent of the NBA, and a high-character player who, at just 26, is still getting better. What’s more, he’s one of the more transparent and genuine pro athletes you’ll find. When he says he wants to return to Toronto next season, take him at his word. Put it this way: in the increasingly unlikely event DeRozan doesn’t, chances are it was the Raptors’ choice, not his.
As early as two weeks, when the Raptors were having trouble putting away the Miami Heat, it was a fair question. Now? DeRozan, it seems, has forced the Raptors’ hands. (getting a bit repetitive here)
“What have you learned about yourself?” Lowry asked his backcourt mate following Monday’s win, repeating a reporter’s question. “One thing about us,” DeRozan said, “We can take the bad with the good any day.”
And when that good begins far outweighing the bad, and your team’s within two games of the NBA Finals? You take that, too, price tag and all.