Has DeRozan played so poorly he shouldn’t be a starter anymore for the Raptors? If so, who should get first chance to fill the empty shoes?
Editor’s Note: We welcome Andrew Cannell to Raptors Rapture as our newest Staff Writer.
Following another disappointing effort from DeMar DeRozan in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, it may be time for Dwane Casey and the Toronto Raptors to reconsider their usage of the All-Star shooting guard. Considering to move away from one of their two All-Stars is a difficult decision to make, but with the series tied at 2-2 and DeRozan’s production declining in each consecutive game against the Heat, it may be a decision that Dwane Casey is forced to make. DeRozan’s struggles have been well-documented and discussed, but his Game 4 performance may have been the worst yet, providing only 9 points on 4 of 17 shooting, a mere 3 rebounds and 0 assists in 33+ minutes of time on the floor. Fellow struggling All-Star Kyle Lowry hasn’t fared much better, but in Kyle’s defense, when he struggles to score, he often is able to provide in other ways by running the offense from the point and providing energy and physical play on the defensive side of the ball. However, when DeRozan isn’t scoring, the reality is that he isn’t doing much else.
When DeRozan isn’t scoring, the reality is that he isn’t doing much else.
Despite his struggles, shooting 35% from the field in four games against the Heat, he has remained a focal point in the Raptors offense, averaging 20 shots per game and 17.5 points per game (roughly 2 more shots per game, and 6 fewer points than what he averaged during the regular season). To put DeRozan’s numbers into context against the rest of the league: among remaining teams, DeRozan ranks 4th in shot attempts per game, but sits 14th in points per game. Perhaps most alarming is his Player Efficiency Rating 9.1. Regardless of your opinion on Advanced stats, when you compare DeRozan to Dwyane Wade (23.7) or even Luol Deng (18.3) it demonstrates just how inefficient and detrimental he has been to the overall success of the Toronto Raptors thus far.
So the question becomes, should Dwane Casey consider an alternative approach in the starting lineup of Game 5? And if so, who is the player set to replace him? The two candidates are the enigmatic Terrence Ross and rookie fan favourite Norman Powell.
Terrence Ross is both an exciting and frustrating player to watch. With all of his athletic gifts and 3-point threat potential, he seems the ideal choice to replace a struggling DeRozan and become a key contributor for the Toronto Raptors. However, throughout his career, finding any form of consistency has proven to be incredibly elusive. He often struggles to link quality games together (or even quality quarters), and after two seasons as a starter found himself coming off the bench for the majority of the 2015-2016 season. This remained true in the opening playoff series against the Indiana Pacers as Ross averaged only 12 minutes per game and was limited in his opportunities to make an impact. With the return of DeMarre Carroll and the emergence of Norman Powell, it was the logical choice for Dwane Casey to make.
However, in four games against the Miami Heat, Ross has averaged 12 points per game and Powell has begun to look like a rookie again, playing under 10 minutes in the two Raptors wins against the Heat and struggling to replicate the strong performance he had against the Indiana Pacers. Where Powell played an important role on the defensive side against the Indiana Pacers, against the Miami Heat, the Raptors have mostly struggled at the offensive end of the floor. Despite the exciting moments that Norman Powell has brought Raptors fans, it is unlikely that inserting him into the starting rotation will be jump start that they need to regain control of this best-of-seven series.
Instead, Dwane Casey should give Ross a look to reward some strong play from the shooting guard against the Heat, but also to shake things up and give Miami a different look to the start Game 5. This doesn’t necessarily mean that DeRozan won’t get a heavy workload if Ross fails to impress, or if DeRozan can get hot coming off the bench. But with eleven games of evidence, it is not unreasonable to wonder if the Raptors could be better served by looking at different options in the starting lineup.
The Raptors would not need to rely on Terrence Ross to carry the offensive work load that is so often placed upon the shoulders of DeRozan, but rather it could inspire a more balanced (and efficient) offensive approach when you don’t have DeRozan putting up 20+ shots per game at only 35% efficiency. Ross, as limited as his opportunities have been, has shot 49% from the field in this series and Carroll, Joseph and others have all shot fairly well through four games against the Heat.
In light of his continued struggles, discussion regarding the health of DeMar DeRozan, particularly his thumb has increased. Although this potential injury to his hand would certainly explain his struggles and inefficiency (including a woeful 54% from the free throw line), it only strengthens the argument that the Raptors should consider looking elsewhere until he can prove that he can contribute consistently and efficiently. Removing an All-Star from the starting lineup is never an easy decision to make, but in a hard fought playoff series with 3 of 4 games heading to overtime, all options need to be considered in pursuit of a series victory.
All stats are provided by Basketball-Reference.com unless otherwise stated.