One article in the Post that only speculated about DeRozan’s value and ESPN Insider picks it up. Suddenly people want to trade DeMar DeRozan.
Here’s 10 reasons not to trade him:
- He’s our best player
- He’s tied to a long-term contract
- He’s shown that he can become a legitimate scorer in the league
- He’s a gym rat
- He’s the only player on the roster that has an outside chance of attracting someone to play alongside in Toronto
- He’s happy in Toronto
- He’s become a decent player without basically having any good coaching instructions, imagine if he had a real coach around him?
- His defense can only get better and his stock will only rise
- He’s not a knuckle-head, doesn’t get into trouble, and if he develops as a player, he could be a good ‘franchise player’
- He’s 24 years old
It’s easy to poke holes at DeRozan’s game – yes, we know he’s got defensive problems, but sometimes people need to look at the coaching (or lack of) our players have received. We’ve had Jay Triano and Dwane Casey managing player development, two guys that are entirely unproven as head coaches and motivators in the NBA. Before we trade DeRozan for a pick and satisfy the devastating cravings of TankNation, maybe it’s better to look at the positive developments of the player and see where he can fit in the future, rather than trading him for an entirely uncertain one.
Spots are available in the Winter War – RR’s 3-on-3 tournament, sign up your team now.
