FanPost

Demar Derozan... not the hero we expected, but the hero we needed

I have to admit, when the Spurs acquired Demar Derozan this summer... I was a bit disappointed. Back then, most trade rumors centered around the numerous prospects held by the Lakers and Sixers. I hoped we would end up with a Brandon Ingram, a Kyle Kuzma, or a Markelle Fultz. When I heard we had acquired Demar Derozan... visions of Richard Jefferson passed through my head. Would this be another low-efficiency, volume scorer who needs the ball in his hands and stifles free flowing offense? Would his past stardom in isolation be broken by our team-first system... or at least go through a long adjustment period like Lamarcus Aldridge did?

With 7% of the NBA season in the books, it's clear my fears were not well founded.

I spoke of this immediately after the trade, but Pop knows what he is doing [UNDERSTATEMENT OF THE YEAR]. In hindsight, trading Leonard for prospects would have been stupid. It would be flipping a coin on the team's success. For every Oladipo, there are countless other would be stars who never materialize as such. I haven't followed Ingram, Kuzma, or Fultz but I doubt any of them are lighting the NBA world on fire right now.

In Derozan, we got a bona fide, established star. We kind of knew that.

What we did not know is how seamlessly he would fit into this team.

Instead of watching him play iso-ball and jack up bad shots, like I was expecting, watching him go to work on offense is fascinating. He has a million different moves, body contortions, fakes to gain the advantage over his defender. He is the most fluid scorer we have had since George Gervin. But that's not all... the focus a defense has to have on him frees up Aldridge underneath and frees up his teammates for easy baskets. Last year, LA had to score over 2 and 3 defenders. This year he's cleaning the glass and getting easy putbacks and such right around the basket. Derozan has made the game easier on everyone.

I just ordered the official Nike Demar Derozan t-shirt and boy do I plan to wear it with pride. If current trends hold, he will have unconventionally and unbelievably carried this team to another playoff berth in a season when no one would have blamed him for performing at a lesser level while adjusting to a new team.

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