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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.
#2 DeRozan's pairing with Aldridge could be lethal
DeMar bolsters the Spurs shooting, posting a 45.7% field goal percentage last season, and is known as one of the league's best pure scorers. In the 2016-17 he was fifth in the league in scoring, there is no doubt if DeRozan is placed in the right environment, he can score. For DeRozan who is a really great player, he must make the players around him better.
Aldridge boasted a 51% field goal percentage and 23.1 points per game last season. With both these players likely to be playing together for extended periods of time, they could form a solid relationship on and off the court.
Adding in the likes of explosive small forward Lonnie Walker Jr. off the bench or even starting alongside DeRozan, the Spurs could be a real threat on the offensive side of the ball. I can't wait to see how this team makes its run and DeRozan and Aldridge will be the stars as they look to make their case in an incredibly tough western conference.
In today's NBA it is vital to have atleast a dynamic duo within an organisation, even LeBron James struggles to compete by himself.
Aldridge struggles to lead a team by himself especially with Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker on the brink of retirement. DeRozan can be the star player to light up the court within this organization for many years to come, the future is exciting for a team with a solid mix of young and aging talents. Time will tell just how good this lot can be.
#4 Coach Greg Popovich
Gregg Popovich is such a great mentor to any young and developing player. It is highly likely DeRozan will be coached in a similar way to Kawhi, who we all know is a lethal two-way player at his best. How successful DeMar is, will be highly dependent on Gregg. DeRozan has already expressed his respect for Popovich after arriving to Team USA and said:
"Everything that stands out about Pop, you just have to love. So to have this opportunity to play with a legendary coach at this point in my career, I think it's one of those blessings that's in disguise because this is a cool moment to be with a guy like that." - Demar Derozan
Pop hasn't really gained a major player off of a trade before. It will be a testament to time as to how DeRozan will be moulded into a Spurs' system player. I look forward to seeing how Popovich gets the most out of the disgruntled shooting guard.
These two could form a key partnership going forward. With Popovich recently being named the new head coach of the USA men's team, they will have a lot more to do with eachother.
Popovich really knows how to pull something out of nothing and this is his shot at turning DeRozan and his team into a title contender.These two could really gel together and it has been made clear already that DeRozan is excited to be under one of the games' great leaders.
Popovich will have almost an entire pre-season to get to know DeMar on and off the court as he creates a team that can compete in the west.
#5 Consistency
One thing Kawhi lacked last season is consistency. While there is no doubting how much of a star he is on his day, Kawhi's time in San Antonio was slowly and visibly coming to an end. The Spurs relied on him for the past 6 seasons and all of a sudden he was gone.
Luckily the Raptors were willing to take a gamble and part ways with such a huge talent in DeMar DeRozan. DeMar has never played less than 60 games In his whole career, even though he picked up an ankle injury in 2014.
This man can bring his A-game every single night, something that the Spurs organization is all about. While many are picking them to be much weaker post-trade, I think the Spurs will come into their own and revel with DeMar at the forefront.
With many young, healthy guys on the Spurs roster I look forward to watching this team play at a high level for many years to come. Regardless of whether DeRozan will bring consistency or not, this team has the talent to be the team we all know too well, that ever-consistent playoff team that Gregg Popovich has created for so many years.
DeRozan is and will be a part of the Spurs future for a long time to come, he is a loyal man and if treated right, will stick with an organization and help them in scaling great heights.
