As a Lakers fan, I actually hoped that the Los Angeles Lakers could get DeMar DeRozan this summer! In addition to his own statement that he really wants to play for the Lakers, want to return to his hometown, and appreciate the relationship between Kobe Bryant very much, DeRozan has always been an underrated star in my heart.
, it really doesn't have a chance. The Lakers cannot execute the salary conditions and sign first and then exchange. They do not have the right to negotiate with Spurs and . It is only possible unless the San Antonio Spurs have to buy him out. In the end, the Chicago Bulls will also grab him and make a very critical reinforcement in combat power.
, DeRozan generally gives many people the impression that he and Kyle Lowry could not pass the LeBron James level during the Tyrannosaurus period of Toronto, and his performance in playoffs was always worse than expected, so he was labeled as "Porilong". Until he left Tyrannosaurus for so many years, some fans still looked down on him. In addition, he did not have the ability to make three-pointers on the outside, and was classified as an alien in this era, which made DeRozan have an underrated image.
However, in the past three years, DeRozan has not stopped improving. He has improved his shooting stability to a new level and has made a leap forward of 40.1% → 43.2% → 48.2% leaps in the mid- and long-distance (16-foot-three-point line) jump rate for three consecutive years. Although the outside world has always focused on him not shooting three-pointers, DeRozan has actually trained his mid-range jump shot to the top level in the league.
Indeed, DeRozan and Philadelphia 76ers Ben Simmons are classified as top stars with excellent ball holding ability but can be said to be completely intimidated by three-pointers, which will drag down the team's offensive space. But he is still very different from Simmons, which is the mid-range ability mentioned above. This alone makes him play Simmons who are not shooting at all.
In the league's current focus on ball-holding offense, DeRozan is already a top player in the league. His only flaw is still that he has no three-point attack. Otherwise, he is already an attacker with high efficiency in all skills. At the same time, he can organize teams, handle the ball steadily, and be willing to share the ball rights, and he can also take over the game at critical moments.
Judging from the Chicago Bulls’ warm-up game, DeRozan has obviously gradually stopped shooting three-pointers, making 3 of 8 three-pointers in 4 games, with a three-point shooting percentage of 37.5%. Although the number of samples is small, his willingness to shoot and his unhesitant attitude makes people see that he is willing to change the problem of weakness in this area.
In fact, DeRozan tried to increase his three-point shooting in the Spurs last year (he almost chose not to shoot but only two-pointers in 2019 and 20 years). Let’s see if he will make more progress in this regard after coming to Bulls ? If he can maintain a shot at a certain level and his shooting percentage falls at about 37%, he will really become a valuable player.
After all, DeRozan, who has no three-pointers, can already help Zach LaVine share too much pressure on holding the ball. He may even be the most stable player in the Bulls' ball holding organization. Although his passing ability and vision are not as good as Lonzo Ball, his all-round offensive skills can allow him to do more sudden tasks.
Finally, don’t forget that DeRozan has averaged 20+ points per game for 8 consecutive seasons. This is not an easy task, and it means he must have stable offensive ability! And from 2000 to the present, the most players averaging more than 20 seasons are LeBron James' 18 seasons, and then Melo and Kobe's 14 seasons, while DeRozan ranks behind 10th.
Of course, DeMar DeRozan is indeed not comparable to super giants such as LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard. It is unfair to compare him with them and then belittle him! But as a star, the team's core figure and mentor, he cannot underestimate his influence and value.
If DeRozan can develop three-point ability, then the Bulls will have a good show in the new season! This makes the Bulls one of the most popular and topical teams in the East.
