On a dark and dreary Wednesday morning in Toronto the Raptors brass were treated to a ray of light in the form of DeMar DeRozan.
DeRozan, a 19-year-old, six-foot-seven forward from the University of Southern California, put together a solid work out in front of the Raptors brain trust, which included head coach Jay Triano and general manager Bryan Colangelo.
DeRozan worked out individually, which is not the norm for pre-draft workouts where upwards of six potential draftees are often on hand to show off their skills.
“You get in good reps [this way], it gets you in better shape. It gets you better prepared for how the NBA Life is,” DeRozan said. “Playing one night, travel, play again. At the end of the day it’s good for you.”
The Raptors are in search of a swingman to compliment the low post presence of Chris Bosh and Andrea Bargnani. DeRozan possesses the skill set to be an effective swingman, but needs to improve his defense and his three-point shooting, as he shot only 19 per cent from behind the arc at USC.
During the workout, the Raptors had him shoot 20 threes and DeRozan connected on eight of them, equating to 40 per cent, an impressive number.
“I think I would fit perfect [as a swingman]. That describes me 100 per cent, so that is something that I could definitely bring to this team,” DeRozan said.
Also on hand was Raptors assistant general manager and player personnel Masai Ujiri, who thinks there are pros and cons to the individual workouts.
“The players get tired and the repetitions are a little bit hectic for them,” he said. “But we get to see things like their footwork and form. And you kind of measure how tough a kid is sometimes.”
Ujiri added DeRozan needs to increase his range and become a better shooter, but compared him to the likes of current NBA players Andre Iguodala of the Philadelphia 76ers and Gerald Wallace of the Charlotte Bobcats.
“It might take a couple of years, but I think he grows into being a good player,” Ujiri said.
DeRozan, a Compton, California native, spent only one year at USC, where he was named to the Pac-10 All-Freshman team, before deciding to turn pro. A big part of that decision came down to helping his family.
“It was tough for me to grow up. Being in this situation, to come to the NBA is great for helping my family and that is something I am really looking forward to doing,” DeRozan said.
He also talked about helping his mother out, who suffers from Lupus.
“It’s on and off, sometimes it’s bad and sometimes it’s good. So that is something I really want to get taken care of for my mom so she can enjoy her life,” he added.
The Raptors hold the ninth pick in the NBA draft, which takes place June 25th in New York. Many believe they would select DeRozan if he were available. But that might be too late for him, with some sources expecting to hear his name called before number nine.
If it were up to DeRozan, he would go a lot higher than nine – more like number one.
“I feel like I am the best,” he said. “I really came in after the season and worked on … my weaknesses and I just want to go out there and show everybody.”