4 Reasons why DeRozan will thrive in San Antonio
On the 17th of July Demar Derozan and Jacob Poeltl along with a 2019 top 20 protected pick were traded to the San Antonio Spurs in exchange for Kawhi Leonard and shooting guard Danny Green. The basketball world reacted, both positively and negatively about the trade.
Both Kawhi and DeRozan expressed how disappointed they were about the whole thing. Kawhi didn't want to play for the San Antonio Spurs and even threatened to sit out next season, while we all know DeMar felt lied to by Toronto Raptors' management after the trade and still wanted to play for and be loyal to the Raptors organisation.
Kawhi sat out 73 of the Spurs' 82 games last season, mainly due to injury and his hesitation to play under Gregg Popovich. The feud was never resolved and the Spurs have ever since been looking for a trade for the former Defensive Player of the Year.
That trade finally came with Toronto, who have never been afraid of mentioning one of their stars in trade talks. DeMar DeRozan had a nice combo going on with Kyle Lowry at the Raptors, but will he be able to continue his fine form with the Spurs?
These are the four reasons why I believe DeMar will find success in Texas.
#1 He plays the same offensive game as Kawhi
You might not agree with this one, but hear me out. DeRozan is certainly not the same two-way player that Kawhi is, but his lethal attacking mindset is undeniable. At 6 ft 7 inches he is the same height as Kawhi but playing in the shooting guard role.
The Spurs will be a different team after the trade and in a positive way, they have a highly reliable mid-range scorer here in DeRozan. Pop is as we all know highly experienced and doesn't have to adjust too much with the insertion of DeRozan.
No doubt Pop will work with him closely this off-season to develop his defensive game to fill the void that Kawhi has left. Offensively, the Spurs lose out on nothing as DeRozan is phenomenal at shooting anywhere within the three-point line and over the past few years he has developed his 3 point percentage to a respectable level.
While this may not be a modern play style for the Spurs, they have to play to their strengths and three point shooting isn't always a team's strength. It will be interesting to see if the Spurs can surround DeRozan with some high quality shooters to balance the team out.
It won't be too much of a difference for Popovich to coach DeRozan over Kawhi. Whether it's the players adjusting how set plays are done, or the coaches changing up training regimes, DeRozan is highly coach-able.
Who knows what could happen with such a high caliber coach behind this guy. The Spurs are dark horses going in to this season and could be a true threat once they begin to gel with each other.