Game #29: Toronto Raptors 120 - Chicago Bulls 129

[mcHAPPY]

I feel like you are bullying me. Can a mod please do something?

My reply was harsh and personal in nature - I apologize for that.

Moving forward, I would ask one thing of you: when in discussion with others whom you do not share the same opinion, don't start with extreme sarcasm - especially when you have invented phantom arguments that no one has even brought up. It is childish and immature. As a mod already mentioned it does nothing to add to constructive conversation. While I am not a fan of DD game, releasing him like Josh Smith is beyond idiotic and a step backwards as well as a waste of an asset (Josh Smith is not an asset) and a waste of cap space.

[rocwell]

Get in the Xmas spirit ya'll! ( and if you don't celebrate Xmas - get in the Bank Holiday spirit!!! )

[Miekenstien]

My reply was harsh and personal in nature - I apologize for that.

Moving forward, I would ask one thing of you: when in discussion with others whom you do not share the same opinion, don't start with extreme sarcasm - especially when you have invented phantom arguments that no one has even brought up. It is childish and immature. As a mod already mentioned it does nothing to add to constructive conversation. While I am not a fan of DD game, releasing him like Josh Smith is beyond idiotic and a step backwards as well as a waste of an asset (Josh Smith is not an asset) and a waste of cap space.

i disagree with josh smith, they could have pulled a deal with sac town in the off-season. he is an asset but was managed badly. on svg

i remember a few years back. happy, you use to be the biggest optimist on the forum. bargs really messed up your chi.

any back to the issue at hand. i don't know how this has devolved into a total demar thread. but as far as team growth goes, for those on here that believe the record and are thinking "we arrived" you're way ahead of yourselves. these losses to the bulls are expected. they are title contenders. they are supposed to beat the teams "below" them, exactly like we have been doing. we aren't title contenders this year. we are a growing team still looking for a piece.

the highs and lows that jump all over here are crazy. we aren't that good and we aren't that bad. we are right where we should be. i would like to see more "playoff" style basketball when we meet up against actual playoff teams. that to me gives us the best practices for our plays to be run, defense intensity etc.

i think what we are seeing is our growing team thinking it can play the same way against the bulls as it can against the knicks. but it can't. that is what the team needs to learn going forward.

also poor butler, 40 minutes is a lot of basketball. i hope he can get a max deal before his knees go

[white men can't jump]

Anyone notice Mirotic got a flop warning today?

[bryan colangelo]

I'm not arguing that the Raps would have won with Demar, I'm arguing his presence would have changed how the game played out. How could it possibly not? Dude has a usage rate of 20% and has one of the highest free throw rates in the league.

The first Bulls game and this one were entirely different. Pau ate JV's lunch the first game, and we almost clawed back into the game in the fourth by applying full court pressure and traps to keep the ball out of Pau's hands. Based on your 'logic' JV should have had a horrible game or gotten torn up by Pau in this game, because ... Somehow the performance of a player is a constant against every team they face? All losses are identical? Huh?

I'm sorry, but some people taking losing way too personal. They're letting their anti-fandom and bitterness cloud basic common sense.

[KeonClark]

I'm not arguing that the Raps would have won with Demar, I'm arguing his presence would have changed how the game played out. How could it possibly not? Dude has a usage rate of 20% and has one of the highest free throw rates in the league.

The first Bulls game and this one were entirely different. Pau ate JV's lunch the first game, and we almost clawed back into the game in the fourth by applying full court pressure and traps to keep the ball out of Pau's hands. Based on your 'logic' JV should have had a horrible game or gotten torn up by Pau in this game, because ... Somehow the performance of a player is a constant against every team they face? All losses are identical? Huh?

I'm sorry, but some people taking losing way too personal. They're letting their anti-fandom and bitterness cloud basic common sense.

i agree. Can't like on mobile phones (someone should Change that :-) )

[Chr1s1anL]

Think people forget how good DD is. Here's a little reminder.

Scouting report
+ Outstanding athlete with a scorer's mentality.
+ Gets to the rim and aggressively draws contact.
+ Improved playmaker and perimeter shooter.

Analysis
Remember when DeRozan looked like just another lanky athlete who shot too much and would never be a starter on a winning team? My, how times have changed. DeRozan has improved and diversified his game each season, to the point where he earned his first All-Star selection last year and then contributed on Team USA's FIBA World Cup championship squad this summer.

Blessed with outstanding leaping ability, speed and a knack for scoring, DeRozan now can influence a game in multiple ways. He averaged 22.7 PPG for the Raptors, and although he shot just 42.9 percent from the field (the second-worst mark of his career), he attacked the basket relentlessly to earn eight free throw attempts per game. DeRozan embraced added responsibility after the Raptors dealt Rudy Gay to Sacramento in December, averaging 23.1 PPG, 4.5 RPG and 4.3 APG the rest of the way. He increased his scoring again in the playoffs to 23.9, although he shot just 38.5 percent.

DeRozan is a handful to stop off the dribble, as he combines his athletic gifts with a variety of moves and a fearless approach to attacking the rim. He averaged 7.2 drives per game, according to SportVU's player tracking data, the fifth-most for a non-point guard. And he showed an increased ability to set up teammates. He also is comfortable pulling up for a midrange J, ranking 16th in the league with 5.6 PPG on pullups, although he could stand to improve his 36.1 percent shooting on those plays. DeRozan also has significantly improved his defense, ranking as one of the best isolation defenders in the league last season (0.41 points allowed per play, according to Synergy).

DeRozan has slowly expanded his game beyond the arc, making 64 treys last season. He connected on just 30.5 percent of them, though, which doesn't justify his 210 attempts. Given that DeRozan still is just 25 years old and has a proven track record of improvement, it's a fair bet that he'll be able to increase that percentage this season.


DeMar DeRozan Full Highlights 2014.02.19 vs Bulls…: http://youtu.be/pGgFZ5Hhl5w

[KeonClark]

Think people forget how good DD is. Here's a little reminder.

Scouting report
+ Outstanding athlete with a scorer's mentality.
+ Gets to the rim and aggressively draws contact.
+ Improved playmaker and perimeter shooter.

Analysis
Remember when DeRozan looked like just another lanky athlete who shot too much and would never be a starter on a winning team? My, how times have changed. DeRozan has improved and diversified his game each season, to the point where he earned his first All-Star selection last year and then contributed on Team USA's FIBA World Cup championship squad this summer.

Blessed with outstanding leaping ability, speed and a knack for scoring, DeRozan now can influence a game in multiple ways. He averaged 22.7 PPG for the Raptors, and although he shot just 42.9 percent from the field (the second-worst mark of his career), he attacked the basket relentlessly to earn eight free throw attempts per game. DeRozan embraced added responsibility after the Raptors dealt Rudy Gay to Sacramento in December, averaging 23.1 PPG, 4.5 RPG and 4.3 APG the rest of the way. He increased his scoring again in the playoffs to 23.9, although he shot just 38.5 percent.

DeRozan is a handful to stop off the dribble, as he combines his athletic gifts with a variety of moves and a fearless approach to attacking the rim. He averaged 7.2 drives per game, according to SportVU's player tracking data, the fifth-most for a non-point guard. And he showed an increased ability to set up teammates. He also is comfortable pulling up for a midrange J, ranking 16th in the league with 5.6 PPG on pullups, although he could stand to improve his 36.1 percent shooting on those plays. DeRozan also has significantly improved his defense, ranking as one of the best isolation defenders in the league last season (0.41 points allowed per play, according to Synergy).

DeRozan has slowly expanded his game beyond the arc, making 64 treys last season. He connected on just 30.5 percent of them, though, which doesn't justify his 210 attempts. Given that DeRozan still is just 25 years old and has a proven track record of improvement, it's a fair bet that he'll be able to increase that percentage this season.

Derozan took 210 3s last season? Didnt seem like that many at all wow

[iblastoff]

Game #29: Toronto Raptors 120 - Chicago Bulls 129

Think people forget how good DD is. Here's a little reminder.

Scouting report
+ Outstanding athlete with a scorer's mentality.
+ Gets to the rim and aggressively draws contact.
+ Improved playmaker and perimeter shooter.

Analysis
Remember when DeRozan looked like just another lanky athlete who shot too much and would never be a starter on a winning team? My, how times have changed. DeRozan has improved and diversified his game each season, to the point where he earned his first All-Star selection last year and then contributed on Team USA's FIBA World Cup championship squad this summer.

Blessed with outstanding leaping ability, speed and a knack for scoring, DeRozan now can influence a game in multiple ways. He averaged 22.7 PPG for the Raptors, and although he shot just 42.9 percent from the field (the second-worst mark of his career), he attacked the basket relentlessly to earn eight free throw attempts per game. DeRozan embraced added responsibility after the Raptors dealt Rudy Gay to Sacramento in December, averaging 23.1 PPG, 4.5 RPG and 4.3 APG the rest of the way. He increased his scoring again in the playoffs to 23.9, although he shot just 38.5 percent.

DeRozan is a handful to stop off the dribble, as he combines his athletic gifts with a variety of moves and a fearless approach to attacking the rim. He averaged 7.2 drives per game, according to SportVU's player tracking data, the fifth-most for a non-point guard. And he showed an increased ability to set up teammates. He also is comfortable pulling up for a midrange J, ranking 16th in the league with 5.6 PPG on pullups, although he could stand to improve his 36.1 percent shooting on those plays. DeRozan also has significantly improved his defense, ranking as one of the best isolation defenders in the league last season (0.41 points allowed per play, according to Synergy).

DeRozan has slowly expanded his game beyond the arc, making 64 treys last season. He connected on just 30.5 percent of them, though, which doesn't justify his 210 attempts. Given that DeRozan still is just 25 years old and has a proven track record of improvement, it's a fair bet that he'll be able to increase that percentage this season.


DeMar DeRozan Full Highlights 2014.02.19 vs Bulls…: http://youtu.be/pGgFZ5Hhl5w

so basically:

- hes great at getting to the free throw line (driving more)
- assists and rebounds were up last year which is great
- his midrange jumper is horrible (36.1%)
- his shooting % has been even less efficient (second worse career-wise last year)
- his shot was even worse in the playoffs (38.5%)
- he still can't shoot 3s (30.5%)
- overall his PPG is high but requires a high amount of shots to attain it

this scouting report actually made him sound worse!

[special1]

Think people forget how good DD is. Here's a little reminder.

Scouting report
+ Outstanding athlete with a scorer's mentality.
+ Gets to the rim and aggressively draws contact.
+ Improved playmaker and perimeter shooter.

Analysis
Remember when DeRozan looked like just another lanky athlete who shot too much and would never be a starter on a winning team? My, how times have changed. DeRozan has improved and diversified his game each season, to the point where he earned his first All-Star selection last year and then contributed on Team USA's FIBA World Cup championship squad this summer.

Blessed with outstanding leaping ability, speed and a knack for scoring, DeRozan now can influence a game in multiple ways. He averaged 22.7 PPG for the Raptors, and although he shot just 42.9 percent from the field (the second-worst mark of his career), he attacked the basket relentlessly to earn eight free throw attempts per game. DeRozan embraced added responsibility after the Raptors dealt Rudy Gay to Sacramento in December, averaging 23.1 PPG, 4.5 RPG and 4.3 APG the rest of the way. He increased his scoring again in the playoffs to 23.9, although he shot just 38.5 percent.

DeRozan is a handful to stop off the dribble, as he combines his athletic gifts with a variety of moves and a fearless approach to attacking the rim. He averaged 7.2 drives per game, according to SportVU's player tracking data, the fifth-most for a non-point guard. And he showed an increased ability to set up teammates. He also is comfortable pulling up for a midrange J, ranking 16th in the league with 5.6 PPG on pullups, although he could stand to improve his 36.1 percent shooting on those plays. DeRozan also has significantly improved his defense, ranking as one of the best isolation defenders in the league last season (0.41 points allowed per play, according to Synergy).

DeRozan has slowly expanded his game beyond the arc, making 64 treys last season. He connected on just 30.5 percent of them, though, which doesn't justify his 210 attempts. Given that DeRozan still is just 25 years old and has a proven track record of improvement, it's a fair bet that he'll be able to increase that percentage this season.


DeMar DeRozan Full Highlights 2014.02.19 vs Bulls…: http://youtu.be/pGgFZ5Hhl5w

Come back soon DD!

Ppl saying he wouldn't make a difference.... just boggles my mind. How can you watch this team and say that.

I admit DD has his long 2s moments that drive us all crazy but man he makes us soo much better when he's being aggressive and making plays for his teammates. He's really the only player we have that attracts double teams consistently. He's a threat to get 25 points or more every time he steps on the court. I'm expecting him to come back even better.

#ProveEm



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[The Great One]

The Raptors with DeRozan this season are 7-3 vs teams with a winning record. Didn't count the OKC game because Durant and Westbrook didn't play.

Raptors record vs teams with a winning record this season without DeRozan? 0-3.

Btw, i feel dumb talking about this. Obviously the Raptors are a MUCH better team with DeRozan.

[special1]

The Raptors with DeRozan this season are 7-3 vs teams with a winning record. Didn't count the OKC game because Durant and Westbrook didn't play.

Raptors record vs quality teams this season without DeRozan? 0-3.

Most fans get it....the others "just hate his game."

*shrugs*

#ProveEm


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[GLF]

The Raptors with DeRozan this season are 7-3 vs teams with a winning record. Didn't count the OKC game because Durant and Westbrook didn't play.

Raptors record vs quality teams this season without DeRozan? 0-3.

Exactly. It's not always about the percentages but more about the attention one attracts and how their presence leads to winning. We have a really good deep team so we can beat losing teams without him but we cannot beat any truly good teams if Derozan isn't there. He helps open things up for other ppl because he attracts so much attention and his ability to get to the free throw line helps our team A LOT, because no one else on our team can get to the free throw line like he does. We become a big time jump shooting team with him gone. When those shots aren't falling like they supposedly weren't yesterday Demar would have been able to get to the basket or get to the free throw line and help slow down momentum. We also wouldn't have had to play Greivis and Lou as much when they both were struggling hard.

[iblastoff]

Exactly. It's not always about the percentages but more about the attention one attracts and how their presence leads to winning. We have a really good deep team so we can beat losing teams without him but we cannot beat any truly good teams if Derozan isn't there. He helps open things up for other ppl because he attracts so much attention and his ability to get to the free throw line helps our team A LOT, because no one else on our team can get to the free throw line like he does. We become a big time jump shooting team with him gone. When those shots aren't falling like they supposedly weren't yesterday Demar would have been able to get to the basket or get to the free throw line and help slow down momentum. We also wouldn't have had to play Greivis and Lou as much when they both were struggling hard.

When stats look bad, of course they don't matter. Unless they look good.


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[The Great One]

Btw, i just re-watched the 2nd game between the Raptors and the Hawks the other night. This is not something new but DeRozan was the Raps go to guy down the stretch.

Hawks tied the game at 82 in the 4th. Casey called a timeout. Next possession DeRozan got to the line for an EASY two.