DeRozan’s rise no surprise to Coach K
League’s leading scorer may have found inspiration during his recent Olympic and international experiences
The famed Coach K is more than OK with everything DeMar DeRozan is doing in this young basketball season for the ages.
Mike Krzyzewski admitted in a brief but exclusive conversation that he wouldn’t necessarily have picked DeRozan to lead the NBA in scoring, but “what’s he’s done has not surprised me.”
“He’s the ultimate good person,” the legendary Duke University and U.S. Olympic basketball coach said. “And along with being a confident player, that combination is tough to beat. I believe only good things are going to happen for him.”
DeRozan played for Coach K at the Olympics in Rio this summer and, in fairness, barely played. His role was limited to mostly coming off the bench and bringing some energy to Team USA with the occasional dunk.
The coach loved him. His teammates loved him even more.
And Krzyzewski believes the Olympic and international experience DeRozan lived through has made a difference in the person and a difference in his game.
“Well, I’ve seen it, actually, since coaching him in the World Cup in 2014,” Krzyzewski said. “That one, he’s such an easy guy to coach. And two, he’s such a team player and he’s constantly working on his game.
“He was in a great place to improve all the time because he’s not worried (about his role), he’s not a jealous player. He’s really confident and team oriented. And one on one, I think by playing, the amount of experience he has had in the pros helped him and playing on those two (international) teams helped him.
“He knows he’s as good as those other guys (he played with). And you learn from being with those guys.”
This has happened before to professional athletes — it just doesn’t happen often. Normally in pro sports, a veteran is who he is. They establish a game, a style, a point structure at a certain place in their career, and that’s where they fit in.
Yet every once in a while, like these 11 games for DeRozan — and who knows how long this streak will continue? — it is almost magic.
There is that fine line between good and great in any sport, between being productive and being special.
DeRozan is doing what few have ever done before.
“Who knows who would lead the NBA in scoring, but I knew he was going to be one of the top scorers,” Krzyzewski said. “He was already a good scorer. But with his experience of playing and also the experience of having a coach (Dwane Casey) coaching him for a long time, he’s had that continuity. The coach sees and the coaching staff sees how they can use him more and more ways.”
They grow together, Krzyzewski said. They grow up together.
“He’s not on a selfish team,” Coach K said. “I also coached Kyle Lowry (at the Olympics) and Kyle is a great guy. He’s surrounded by those kind of players and that’s a great place for him to be.”
DeRozan is averaging 33.3 points a game through 11 games with the Raptors. He has scored 40 points twice, has been in the 30s seven times, twice in the 20s.
Last year he averaged 23.5 points a game. The year before that: 20.1. And before that: 22.7, 18.1 and 16.7.
DeRozan is almost doubling his scoring from five years ago. That won’t last — can’t last — but you ride the wave for as long as you can. You live it and you ride it. Only five players in history have scored more than 34 points a game for an entire season. Their names begin with Hall and Fame:
Wilt Chamberlain. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Bob McAdoo. Michael Jordan. Kobe Bryant.
Four of the greatest players of alltime and that greatest Buffalo-Toronto Braves scorer ever (McAdoo).
This is a heady place for DeRozan, who after 11 games last season was averaging 21 points and had not scored 30 in any game. He is scoring 58 per cent more than he did a year ago at this time.
Fifty-eight freakin’ per cent! That’s 10 points a game more than LeBron James, best player on the planet, is scoring. That’s five points a game more than Steph Curry or Kevin Durant, who are lined up right behind LeBron in the best player conversation. And it’s a dozen points more than Paul George, for whom the Raptors had no answer last April, is scoring. Can it continue? Will it continue? Krzyzewski is proud to have played whatever part in DeRozan’s newfound success. But more than that, he’s just happy for the player.
“We have a good relationship,” Coach K said. “I hope it’s great. I like the fact that he loves people. And loves his little kids. He’s a good guy, he’s really a good guy. And you’re happy to be around him all the time.
“And I like that about DeMar.”