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  • Three years in the league, with the minutes he's been given since Day 1, is a lot of time to show your potential.

    By 25, you generally are what you are in the NBA, and by 29, you're on your way down, from a physical standpoint, and you better have accumulated some other skills that don't rely on sheer athleticism to help you succeed. In other words, combine that curve with an expiring contract, and time is running short for Demar to really show what he's made of and where his career might max out. Lowry was in a different boat -- he didn't necessarily just become better at 25; he just finally got the minutes. Demar's had the minutes all along, and while he's improved slightly in some areas over the past 3 seasons, he's also regressed in some areas. It's still really tough to guess what kind of player he will end up.

    You're right that Demar clearly isn't the talent that guys like Lebron, Rose, Howard, etc. But the question is whether he's the same kind of talent that Toronto has been hoping he would be since Day 1 -- an elite athlete who can use his physical gifts to get to the rim or the line on a regular basis, and use the same gifts to become a top-flight wing defender. I think Toronto thought they were getting another Gerald Wallace type -- not necessarily a lights-out perimeter shooter, but a guy who can cause havoc on both ends with his motor and athleticism, a borderline all-star. Demar is not nearly there yet.

    The change to more of a post-up game this pre-season seems promising for his offensive game, but he's still an abhorrent passer and he still can't shoot a long jumper consistently. And his defense is bad, so bad that he's probably become more of a liability on that end than Bargnani. And for the passing and defensive issues, sometimes it's not an experience issue, it's more of a basketball IQ issue -- which you often can't fix.

    This is definitely a make-or-break season for Demar, IMO. It's not even a question of how much money he'll be looking for; it's a question of whether he's needed or not. If he doesn't morph quickly into that Wallace type, then he's not much more valuable than a young Terrence Ross (who by most accounts is already a better shooter and defender at the 2 than Demar) or someone they could get in a trade or FA. I can't see them overpaying for him unless he proves he's a big piece.
    Definition of Statistics: The science of producing unreliable facts from reliable figures.

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    • ive seen quite a few times so far in preseason where demar has shown a better iq. hes been making better reads and some good passes the shots just havent fallen to show on his stat line

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      • DeMar has picked up his shooting percentages through 6 preseason games. If he takes his 14-15 shots per game and shoots 46% as he has done in preseason and gets to the line 7 times per game hitting 80%, that would be a solid 19 points per game. I think that would be a good start.

        He is also up nearly a steal per game to 1.7 through 6 preseason games, that is not too bad either.

        It is all, afterall, only preseason so it means little but it is certainly encouraging.

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        • Matt52 wrote: View Post
          ...It is all, afterall, only preseason so it means little but it is certainly encouraging.
          That half-full glass is nearly up to the brim.

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          • Where did these handles/rebounding come from?
            @sweatpantsjer

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            • ceez wrote: View Post
              Where did these handles/rebounding come from?
              I told y'all. This dude is only going to get better. We are witnessing the rise of a star player

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              • ceez wrote: View Post
                Where did these handles/rebounding come from?
                He's been showing better dribbling skills through the pre-season and certainly in the games. I know I have commented on it. Maybe more in evidence against Minny, but I would say the competition level was lower so he could try and do more.

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                • DeRozan has been VERY impressive over the past 2 games. If I have to nitpick, I'd say his man-defense is still somewhat below average, but he's hitting his shots (and taking good shots), playing aggressively in the post, and getting his hands in the passing lanes and deflecting passes. He's even getting in on the boards, which is more than we can say about our Italian friend....

                  Really like what I saw over the weekend. If DeRozan keeps up this pace, the $38 million is money well spent.

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                  • Everything Demar

                    I debated putting this in one of the other threads that seem to debate whether he is worth the new contract figures or whether he forms a top 10 back-court, but in the end, I wanted to focus on Demar's performances so far, and not in the context of money or ranking guard-duo's around the league.

                    What I (we?) knew about Demar before this season was:
                    - great athlete
                    - excellent at getting to and making free throws
                    - raw defensively (still)
                    - no outside shot
                    - pressed into #1 scorer-role last season

                    What I (we?) wanted to see from Demar this season:
                    - more efficient scorer (increase FG%)
                    - more range on jump shot
                    - better defence

                    So far I have seen Demar demonstrate 2 of the 3 things I wanted to see this season.

                    Demar seems to be playing better defence. He is using his speed and athleticism to getting into the passing lanes, which is giving him steals and deflections. While he isn't a lock-down defender, he certainly seems to be an active defender who is improving. Demar is still very young (23 yrs old, 4th season after 1 and done at USC) and lock-down defenders a very rare without lots of experience. So to say that he should be a lock-down guy because he is an athlete isn't fair. Saying he has the potential is fair, but he needs to learn to use angles, positioning, and rotations properly to become that guy. Once he gets the knowledge down, then the athleticism can propell him. Casey has the knowledge and if Demar is willing to learn, then I see no reason he can't get there.

                    Demar seems to be more efficient than last season, primarily because he is posting up more. I love this addition to his game. At 6'7", he will match-up against a lot of smaller guards (how many SG's are taller than 6'4" these days?). An athletic wing who can post up and is a very good free throw shooter, that is an efficient offensive game. So even if he hasn't proven to be a better 3 point shooter (way to early to tell based on the numbers), the fact that he can be an efficient scorer for the team, while increasing his point totals, rebounds, and steals all while playing fewer minutes is a GREAT sign for the future.

                    Before this season began, I was down on Demar. I wasn't sure he could develop the outside shot quickly enough for the team to keep him (another 2 or 3 years of developing was my expectation), so the fact that Demar has found another way of being an efficient scorer has me very excited about his prospects this season.

                    Here are his stat lines from this season and the 2 years prior. Last year's 42% FG% could be partially attributed to his pressed role of go-to scorer.

                    One final note, they always say that the ability to consistently hit in the 15 foot range and free throws is largely transferable into 3 point range. Demar is consistently an 81% free throw shooter, so he shows the signs of developing into a 3 point guy, but it will take time.

                    MIN FG% 3P% FT% OREB REB AST STL BLK TO Foul PTS
                    31.3 51.2% 50% 81.3% 1.7 5.0 1.3 1.3 0.3 0.7 2.3 19.0
                    35.0 42.2% 26.1% 81% 0.6 3.3 2.0 0.8 0.3 2.0 2.6 16.7
                    34.8 46.7% 9.6% 81.3% 0.9 3.8 1.8 1.0 0.4 1.8 2.6 17.2
                    Heir, Prince of Cambridge

                    If you see KeonClark in the wasteland, please share your food and water with him.

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                    • Just thought of this yesterday, this could have been DeMar's ROOKIE season had he played four years in college. I know it's fairly irrelevant point, but just something to remember.

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                      • phillythekid wrote: View Post
                        Just thought of this yesterday, this could have been DeMar's ROOKIE season had he played four years in college. I know it's fairly irrelevant point, but just something to remember.
                        Great point.
                        Twitter: @ReubenJRD • NBA, Raptors writer for Daily Hive Vancouver, Toronto.

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                        • Axel wrote: View Post
                          ...Here are his stat lines from this season and the 2 years prior. Last year's 42% FG% could be partially attributed to his pressed role of go-to scorer....

                          MIN FG% 3P% FT% OREB REB AST STL BLK TO Foul PTS
                          31.3 51.2% 50% 81.3% 1.7 5.0 1.3 1.3 0.3 0.7 2.3 19.0
                          35.0 42.2% 26.1% 81% 0.6 3.3 2.0 0.8 0.3 2.0 2.6 16.7
                          34.8 46.7% 9.6% 81.3% 0.9 3.8 1.8 1.0 0.4 1.8 2.6 17.2
                          Lovin' it. I hope being paired with Lowry and the work he has put in translates into this kind of efficiency for the season. Not likely, as teams adjust, but definitely a great start.

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                          • phillythekid wrote: View Post
                            Just thought of this yesterday, this could have been DeMar's ROOKIE season had he played four years in college. I know it's fairly irrelevant point, but just something to remember.
                            RaptorReuben wrote: View Post
                            Great point.
                            i don't think this is a great point. just say he is 23 with 3 years in the league. why make it seem like he is still a rookie. we have paid this guy 10 million already. he chose to leave school early, he doesn't get points for only being as old as seniors leaving college now.

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                            • Miekenstien wrote: View Post
                              i don't think this is a great point. just say he is 23 with 3 years in the league. why make it seem like he is still a rookie. we have paid this guy 10 million already. he chose to leave school early, he doesn't get points for only being as old as seniors leaving college now.
                              The reason it is a great point is because he didn't have ANY significant skill coming into the league as a rookie, other than his athleticism. Until now, he has improved at a really good rate, not to mention HAD he stayed in college until now, who knows what he would've given as a rookie. Still a fairly raw guy.

                              Development in a high talent, harder/stronger/faster league has been pretty good If I might say. Development in the league compared to development in college is different.
                              Twitter: @ReubenJRD • NBA, Raptors writer for Daily Hive Vancouver, Toronto.

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                              • Miekenstien wrote: View Post
                                i don't think this is a great point. just say he is 23 with 3 years in the league. why make it seem like he is still a rookie. we have paid this guy 10 million already. he chose to leave school early, he doesn't get points for only being as old as seniors leaving college now.
                                Yeah, like I said, it doesn't mean much. It's just a way of pointing out how relatively young he still is, and how much more he could develop. Last year and so far this year, DeMar is the 5th highest scoring player his age or younger.

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