Hoops Habit
Fansided

Toronto Raptors: 5 reasons to keep the core intact

By Maxwell Ogden

May 7, 2017; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; A general view of t-Shirts draped over the seats at the Air Canada Centre prior to game four of the second round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Toronto Raptors. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports
May 7, 2017; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; A general view of t-Shirts draped over the seats at the Air Canada Centre prior to game four of the second round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Toronto Raptors. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
6 of 6
Next
May 5, 2017; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan (10) looks to pass the ball against the Cleveland Cavaliers during game three of the second round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
May 5, 2017; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan (10) looks to pass the ball against the Cleveland Cavaliers during game three of the second round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports /

1. DeMar DeRozan

During the 2016 NBA Playoffs, DeMar DeRozan was written off as an inefficient volume shooter who was hurting the Toronto Raptors. Those who watched the games, however, saw the Raptors’ supporting players shy away from shot attempts and thus force DeRozan to attempt to take over.

During the 2017 NBA Playoffs, it was DeRozan who, once again, stepped up to close out the first-round series—and that shouldn’t be taken lightly.

Kyle Lowry has proven to be an unreliable postseason performer, but DeRozan showed signs of improvement in 2017. Statistically, he averaged more points, rebounds, assists, and steals per game in 2017 than in 2016, and he did so while shooting 4.0 percent better from the field.

Beyond the numbers, DeRozan seemed to be more comfortable with his responsibilities as a No. 1 scoring option—a development that directly coincides with him entering his prime.

Already a three-time All-Star, DeRozan is coming off of the best regular season and postseason of his NBA career. At 27 years of age, he’s entering his athletic prime and developing a greater understanding of how to utilize his abilities.

DeRozan may or may not be Toronto’s savior, but Masai Ujiri signed him to a five-year contract worth $139 million—and wasting a single one of those years on a rebuild would be inadvisable.

Must Read: The Los Angeles Clippers are stunting Blake Griffin's development

The Toronto Raptors may not be able to win with the current core, but retooling and building around DeMar DeRozan would be more responsible than a complete rebuild.

Home/Toronto Raptors