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NBA Player Power Rankings: 2017 All-Star Weekend Edition

By Maxwell Ogden

Feb 11, 2017; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant (35) fights for position with Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) during the second quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 11, 2017; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant (35) fights for position with Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) during the second quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /
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Feb 15, 2017; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan (10) dribbles the ball during the second half of a 90-85 win over the Charlotte Hornets at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 15, 2017; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan (10) dribbles the ball during the second half of a 90-85 win over the Charlotte Hornets at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports /

18. DeMar DeRozan, Toronto Raptors

Position: Shooting Guard
Age: 27 (8/7/1989)
Experience: 8th Season
2016-17 Slash Line: .464/.253/.845
2016-17 Season Averages: 35.5 MPG, 27.3 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 3.7 APG, 1.1 SPG

It’s easy to dismiss DeMar DeRozan as a scorer who doesn’t conform to conventional standards for offensive execution. He rarely converts or attempts 3-point field goals and relies heavily on midrange jump shots.

True as that all may be, there’s no rational way to dispute the value of a player averaging 27.3 points per game on a team that’s on pace to win 47 games.

Toronto is averaging 108.5 points per game, meaning DeRozan is accounting for more than 25 percent of the Raptors’ offense with just his scoring. He’s providing those points in an efficient manner and is getting to the free throw line with relative ease.

DeRozan is No. 6 in the NBA with an average of 8.6 free throw attempts per game—34.1 percent of Toronto’s team attempts per game from the charity stripe.

Toronto hasn’t yet performed at an elite level on defense, and is instead riding its offense to victory. Kyle Lowry may be the catalyst on both ends of the floor, but DeRozan is the primary scoring option for an elite offensive team.

Though he doesn’t show well in the advanced metrics, DeRozan is one of the best players in the NBA and one of the keys to Toronto’s championship aspirations.