DeMar DeRozan
Age: 26
Height: 6-foot-7
Career stats: 33.9 mpg; 18.1 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 2.6 apg, 0.9 stl, 0.3 blk; 44.2/28.3/82.5 shooting splits
2015-16 stats: 35.9 mpg; 23.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 4 apg, 1 spg, 0.3 bpg; 44.5/33.8/85.0 shooting splits
Strengths:
• Scoring: DeRozan is a true scorer. In 2015-16 he averaged 23.5 points, first on his team, and showed he was able to carry the load during the regular season.
• Free throws: DeRozan shot a career-high 8.4 free throws per game in 2015-16, a direct result of driving to the basket more often and drawing contact.
• IQ: DeRozan has evolved to support his strengths rather than weaknesses, which demonstrates a level of IQ some players don’t have. This year, DeRozan shot less threes, drove to the basket more and posted a career-high in scoring.
Weaknesses:
• 3-point shooting: As good a scorer as he is, DeRozan’s range doesn’t consistently extend to the 3-point line. While he shot above 30 percent this year from 3, he is a sub-30 percent 3-point shooter for his career.
• Efficiency: DeRozan is a volume scorer and hasn’t reached 45 percent from the field since his sophomore season in the NBA. But perhaps his 44 percent in 2015-16 is a sign of improvement.
Why the Warriors make sense:
The Warriors need scoring outside of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. None of the guards on the roster besides the Splash Brothers are pure scorers, although Livingston’s professional midrange game and Barbosa’s ageless slashing provided scoring off the bench last season. But DeMar DeRozan is simply on another level and would offer the Warriors a third pure scorer who emphasizes going to the hoop rather than 3-point shooting. This versatility would add another dimension to the Warriors’ perimeter offense if DeRozan is making plays and drawing attention through slashing while Curry and Klay snipe from the space he creates. His size (6’7″) makes him a great candidate to thrive in the Warriors’ system. DeRozan could turn an already explosive, well-oiled machine like the Warriors offense into a truly unstoppable force.
Why the Warriors don’t make sense:
The first consideration when looking at DeRozan is whether the Warriors have the money to afford him. DeRozan will be coveted by many teams and could certainly command a hefty price tag. There is also the concern that a ball-dominant player like DeRozan will take the ball out of the hands of Steph and Draymond. Throw in Klay’s evolution as a ball handler and playmaker and it doesn’t quite make sense to bring in a 4th player who will need the ball to be effective. While DeRozan is very appealing, his play style and price tag may end up keeping him out of Golden State.