Toronto Raptors 2016-17 player grades: The starters
By Nate Wolf
DeMar DeRozan
When healthy, Lowry was probably better than DeRozan this season. That said, the latter’s growth in year eight was as unexpected as it was valuable.
DeRozan is no longer a young player. 2016-17 was his age-27 season, and it was fair to assume before the season that he’d top out as a low-20s scorer without much else to his game. In truth, DeRozan didn’t add much: His assists went down, his turnovers went up, and he’s still not much of a rebounder or a defender. He also, of course, can’t shoot a lick.
Still, the USC product became one of the best scorers in the NBA this season, which helped get him a (controversial) slot on the All-NBA Third Team. DeRozan’s 27.3 points per game ranked fifth in the league, and he was typically ruthless from within 16 feet.
DeRozan finished the regular season in the league’s 87th percentile on isolation plays and the 85th percentile on possessions finished as a pick-and-roll ballhandler. He’s mastered those plays, and in the playoffs, Cleveland did everything they could to stop them. Even so, DeRozan broke free at times.
The next step in DeRozan’s progression is to add more variety to his game. It’s easy to imagine him attacking the paint off pindowns and curls. The dude is too athletic to stop with a running start. He’s also a legitimate post-up threat, but only nine percent of his finished plays (those that end with a shot, turnover, or foul) came on the block.
DeRozan is the long-term foundation of the Raptors. Barring a remarkable turn of events, he’s unlikely to move. But expectations will be higher next year for a player whose playing style is basically an affront to the analytics movement. Will he stagnate or keep on improving?
Next: 5 potential landing spots for Kyle Lowry in free agency