Toronto Raptors: 5 goals for DeMar DeRozan in 2017-18

5. Get to the inside

DeMar DeRozan is known specifically for his ability to shoot from the mid-range with his pull-up jumper and working off pick-and-rolls. He will work off his roll man once, twice, even three times to make space for his shot.

When studying DeRozan on film it becomes easy to see that he tends to avoid driving to the basket when possible. At times it seems he enjoys and even flourishes in attempting the more difficult basket, even more so when watching said shot fall through the net.

Last season, 31 percent of his shot attempts came at 16 feet from the basket or greater. It is the most utilized shot in his repertoire, but he only made 38.4 percent of those mid-range attempts.

While his dominance on offense typically can also come from DeRozan working through isolation, he will have to begin to be more dynamic in his shot selection. Just 15.8 percent of DeRozan’s attempts come inside the paint, and this is where he should find himself a little more often.

If not justified by his field goal percentage from this distance at 66.8 percent, look to his very solid free throw percentage last season, hitting 84.2 percent of his free throws. Drawing fouls and making trips to the charity stripe for potential 3-point plays can be key, especially when he averaged 7.4 points per game from the foul line last season.

Getting inside and creating more opportunities there while not abandoning his mid-range game seems to be a reasonable priority.