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| Credit: ESPN |
It may have been the most controversial and divisive contract extension given to a player still on their rookie contract eliminating the risk of Restricted Free Agency in the past four or five years when it happened. DeRozan signed for a four year - $38 million dollar contract with a player option in the final year that established DeRozan’s annual salary at $9.5 million. At the time (November, 2012), it was criticized. To that point, DeRozan was an inconsistent and inefficient shooting guard who couldn’t shoot. To some, that’s still a fair way to categorize him. With a closer look though, there has been improvement in DeRozan’s game and going into his sixth NBA season at 25, DeRozan may be primed for his best season yet.
2014 has been a banner year for DeRozan so far. To start, DeRozan’s role and responsibility for this Raptors team grew overnight when they traded Rudy Gay away during the season. Next, DeRozan was named an NBA All-Star for the first time (in an admittedly weak Eastern Conference and amid speculation that his teammate, Kyle Lowry, may have been more deserving). DeRozan then got his first taste of playoff basketball in a spirited first round performance that went seven games against an experienced Brooklyn Nets team. Most recently, DeRozan won a FIBA World Cup Gold Medal representing his country in Spain this September. Although DeRozan had a only a small role on the National Team, he’s already spoken extensively of how much he learned going through training camp and playing with the best players in the world and from the humbling experience of being only a small contributor to the team. As much of an impact as the U.S. National Team experience had for DeRozan, it may have been the taste of playoff experience that has driven DeRozan going into this season. At Raptors Media Day, he spoke openly about how much it hurt to lose by one point in Game 7 and watch Brooklyn move on to play in Miami.
When watching Toronto A.R.G.T. (After Rudy Gay Trade) last season, it was apparent that DeRozan was playing better. The wins kept piling up as well. Toronto, who was 6-12 with Rudy Gay last season, finished the year with 48 wins and 34 losses and (maybe more impressively) finished in the top 10 in both offensive and defensive rating (points scored and allowed per 100 possessions). But just how did DeRozan improve as a player individually? He was still a shooting guard that shot 43% from the field (4th lowest of his 5 year career). How could he have improved all that much?
A quick look at his shot charts demonstrates a slight change in his game. After taking a career high 120 3’s in the 2012-13 season, he raised that to 210 last season and shot a career high 30%. That's still not a great percentage for an All-Star shooting guard, but it is a significant step up from the 24% he shot from three over his first four seasons. DeRozan also increased the amount of corner 3’s he shot from only 36 (12-13) to 94 last season where he shot over 39%. Sure, DeRozan only shot 43% overall from the field last season, but there’s more to it than that.
Statistically minded NBA fans often critique DeRozan’s game because he takes so many mid-range jumpers and is not the elite level mid-range shooter that guys like LaMarcus Aldridge is. It’s a fair argument. DeRozan’s favorite offensive move seems to be the mid-range jump shot. However, take a look at how DeRozan fits with the rest of the projected starting lineup. The rest of the group operates from 3 and at the rim much like the ideal shot distribution Houston has been chasing. That gives DeRozan plenty of room to work his mid-range game. Statistical purists might consider it counter-productive, but others might consider DeRozan’s mid-range contributions a component of a more balanced attack.
DeRozan did however improve on other aspects of his game. He increased his Assist % (percentage of the team’s assists created by the player) from 12.0% to 18.9% by increasing his average from 2.5 to 4.0 per game, a career high.
Not only did DeRozan’s shooting and passing numbers both increase last season, but the likely most important indicator of DeRozan’s improvement was his ability to get to the free throw line. Last season he increased his Free Throw Attempts per game from 5.2 to 8.0. DeRozan jumped to elite status in drawing free throw attempts. He ranked sixth in the entire NBA in total free throw attempts behind only Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin, James Harden, Dwight Howard, and Kevin Love.
By increasing his ability to get to the free throw line and his ability to shoot from the outside, DeRozan increased his efficiency on the offensive end. Defensively, DeRozan has always been a solid player with specific strengths and weaknesses. In general, DeRozan is the best wing defender on a top ten defensive unit. He excels defending the pick and roll where his length and athleticism allows him to catch up to the ball handler within the team scheme. He’s able to challenge jump shots and plays the passing lanes well. Derozan finished 12th among SG in Defensive Win Shares last season, and was often tasked with defending the other team’s best wing defender.
DeRozan struggles with bigger guards and small forwards though. Players with strength that can play in the pain and back DeRozan down have a lot of success. That was no more evident than in the playoff match-up against Joe Johnson and the Brooklyn Nets last season.
Now Joe Johnson is not your typical two guard. There are very few guards (or even small forwards) with his strength and his ability to play in the post. That’s something that DeRozan doesn’t see night in and night out in the NBA, but it became a liability in a playoff series. Johnson punished DeRozan down low both in the post and coming off screens off-the-ball into the free throw area in the paint where he could operate with his back to the basket. Johnson’s size and strength overwhelmed DeRozan. That will be something he needs to work on.
The acquisition of James Johnson will help that, and it’s why they brought in Landry Fields from the Knicks, although that hasn’t worked out. Replacing Fields, Salmons, Novak, and De Colo's minutes with James Johnson and Lou Williams should be a plus both defensively and offensively and tightens up a solid rotation with room to grow. DeRozan turned 25. Lowry is 28. Valanciunus 22, and Amir Johnson 27. In fact, there’s only one player on this team in his thirties (Chuck Hayes, 31). DeRozan will be able to grow together with these players.
The one concern you may have about that is his relationship with Kyle Lowry. Lowry has always been the center of confrontation since he’s entered the league. He’s coming off his first big contract and believes that the Toronto franchise believes in him as the leader of this team. From all accounts though, DeRozan and Lowry have a great relationship and seem to enjoy tag-teaming the leadership role. The combination of Lowry and DeRozan, contributing on both sides of the ball, has to be thrown into the ring in the discussion of league's best back court.
Looking back at that contract extension now, especially given the recent NBA television deal, DeRozan’s contract has been a downright bargain. He’ll be paid just under $10 million dollars this season and next season and has a player option for the 2016-17 season which he would be crazy to pick up at this point. At that point, DeRozan will likely earn himself another big contract that may inspire criticism in the NBA discourse community. That’s alright though. He’ll just keep working hard.
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