Everything Derozan

[JWash]

Couple reasons DeRozan's FG% was higher his 2nd year (and 1st although he wasn't a feature player that year).

- Team played a faster paced offense (11th in the league)
- Wasn't the first option on offense
- As a result of the faster pace offense more baskets came in transition
- More transition baskets = less mid-range, shot < 50% of his shots from mid-range (10-23ft) compared to nearly 60% now
- 59% of his baskets were assisted compared to 45% now

[Joey]

Maybe that's part of it. But at this point do you believe he can be reigned in? Do you believe DeMar understands that he'd be much more efficient if he improved his 3% and heavily altered his shot selection?

I think it's a bit too much of a copp out to blame the coaching. Players take shots they like, and DeMar likes bad shots. He always deflects questions about why he hasn't improved his 3s and looked to take more. He defends terrible shots (infamous "feel better taking contested shots" quote).

Yes I do believe that if we had a Coach in place that preached the right system, and insisted on playing the right way, Demar would 'get it' and see how much easier his life on the court is.

Cop out? If plays weren't drawn up for him that forced him to have the ball on one side, while the rest of the team retreats to the other side of the floor, you think he'd complain? If plays were drawn up that got Demar clean paths to the basket, wide open corner 3's (which he's shown to take and make) mismatches he could post up, and had it drilled into him that those were his shots, I do not believe he would insist on taking the same shots he has been.

[Joey]

Couple reasons DeRozan's FG% was higher his 2nd year (and 1st although he wasn't a feature player that year).

- Team played a faster paced offense (11th in the league)
- Wasn't the first option on offense
- As a result of the faster pace offense more baskets came in transition
- More transition baskets = less mid-range, shot < 50% of his shots from mid-range (10-23ft) compared to nearly 60% now
- 59% of his baskets were assisted compared to 45% now

I think your last 2 points are KEY to whats changed in our system, and thus, in Demars game.

[Just Is]

Yes I do believe that if we had a Coach in place that preached the right system, and insisted on playing the right way, Demar would 'get it' and see how much easier his life on the court is.

Cop out? If plays weren't drawn up for him that forced him to have the ball on one side, while the rest of the team retreats to the other side of the floor, you think he'd complain? If plays were drawn up that got Demar clean paths to the basket, wide open corner 3's (which he's shown to take and make) mismatches he could post up, and had it drilled into him that those were his shots, I do not believe he would insist on taking the same shots he has been.

I'd completely agree with you if not for the fact that Demar has come out and said that he prefers to take those hard shots.

[Joey]

I'd completely agree with you if not for the fact that Demar has come out and said that he prefers to take those hard shots.

Well he's an idiot sometimes. Lol Don't listen to him. It's been a long time since he's seen any easy shots due to play calls.

[Axel]

I'd completely agree with you if not for the fact that Demar has come out and said that he prefers to take those hard shots.

Also the coach doesn't "draw up" a play for every possession. A certain amount of free will is involved.

[Joey]

Also the coach doesn't "draw up" a play for every possession. A certain amount of free will is involved.

Right, when the Coach doesn't draw up plays, the PG calls play .. and what plays do the Raps have to call? ISO.

Do we ever see Motion? Spread? Set? Never. Sometimes we get Horns.

[Just Is]

Right, when the Coach doesn't draw up plays, the PG calls play .. and what plays do the Raps have to call? ISO.

Do we ever see Motion? Spread? Set? Never. Sometimes we get Horns.

I know there are numerous threads on this topic but I feel the strong urge to, once again, question why we brought Casey back.

[JimiCliff]

I still strongly believe it's because Masai knows that as a GM, you only get to go through so many coaches, so replacement is a last resort.

[JWash]

Most of us agree Casey is one of the worst coaches in the league, no?

Casey has been DeMar's coach for basically his whole career. Running this iso-ball crap, telling DeRozan and company that those tough shots are the ones they "usually make" and they should "keep taking them" and "pounding the rock".

With this kind of idiocy at the head, how can you expect the focal point of the offense to be an efficient player? Even Lowry was below-average in efficiency this season.

Suggesting that a change to the coaching and offensive system would not significantly affect DeRozan's ability to perform is extremely naive. Positions like that are why the DeRozan debate is always filled with such vitriol.

You have the people who think DeRozan is a superstar and then the people who are equally as foolish saying he wouldn't be successful anywhere.

[JWash]

I still strongly believe it's because Masai knows that as a GM, you only get to go through so many coaches, so replacement is a last resort.

Could also be because the roster is getting blown up this season. In which case, Casey's atrocious iso-ball offense would lead to a LOT of losses with guys like Bruno and Nogueira running it lol

[white men can't jump]

Yes I do believe that if we had a Coach in place that preached the right system, and insisted on playing the right way, Demar would 'get it' and see how much easier his life on the court is.

Cop out? If plays weren't drawn up for him that forced him to have the ball on one side, while the rest of the team retreats to the other side of the floor, you think he'd complain? If plays were drawn up that got Demar clean paths to the basket, wide open corner 3's (which he's shown to take and make) mismatches he could post up, and had it drilled into him that those were his shots, I do not believe he would insist on taking the same shots he has been.

Re-read my post with the edit I added.

For 2 years his 3s went up, his efg% bounced back up and so did his TS% a bit. Then this year his 3s dropped again and we saw a drop in efficiency.

Why the drop? It certainly seemed like something the staff emphasized for awhile. DId they give up because DeMar can't hit 3s well enough (with his shitty %s it's still better than a lot of his 2s)? Or was it resistance from DeMar because it's not enough in his comfort zone? Some combination of both where our coach lacks the balls to challenge his players, and our players lack the brains to play a smarter game?

Again, I don't think it's fair to simply put it on the coaches. Especially since we've seen DeMar pass up open 3s to dribble into the line and take a 21 footer countless times.

[yabadabayolo]

Could also be because the roster is getting blown up this season. In which case, Casey's atrocious iso-ball offense would lead to a LOT of losses with guys like Bruno and Nogueira running it lol

People keep saying that, I don't think he is a shit coach. I think he's a mediocre one. Just look where he took this roster, it's actually shit.

I don't think he'll ever head coach a championship team nor will he lead a team to last place. Even at his worst, he's going to get you to the 6-9 seed.

[DanH]

Eh, DeRozan at his very most efficient, playing in Triano's offence, managed an average TS% when a big chunk of his attempts were at the rim or completely wide open. Average. He'll never get as open as he was that year again. And there's no way he sees himself as a 4th or 5th option on offence, the only scenarios where I can see him posting similar average efficiency numbers. That ship has sailed, and even if it hadn't, not much point building around a 4th or 5th option.

Meanwhile, yes there are a couple years where his efficiency follows with his usage - but just as many where it doesn't - his usage barely changed from last year to this one, and yet his efficiency plummeted. Same goes for his 2nd to 3rd years. Meanwhile, the same subtle increase and an even bigger increase in usage from his 3rd through his 5th years saw increases in his efficiency.

No correlation, except perhaps at the extreme, but it's been a half decade since we experienced that extreme, so who even knows if that holds anymore?

[Chr1s1anL]

Very Easy to pull DD's numbers from pre-Gay Trade in 2014. Using BBRef, first 18 game log and export the stats table into excel, you get:

38 MPG
21.33 PPG on 43% FG, 34% from deep, and 77% FT
3.72 RPG
2.72 APG

The team went 6-12, with 50% of games home/road.

Finished the season with averages of

                                                                   

MP      FG  FGA  FG%  3P%  FT FTA  FT% TRB AST STL BLK TOV  PF  PTS

38.2   7.6 17.8 .429 .305 6.6 8.0 .824 4.3 4.0 1.1 0.4 2.2 2.5 22.7

That's my point. He plays better when he has better talent around him.