Trend Analysis: DeRozan’s January Slump
DeMar DeRozan has not played well to start the new year, and he’ll be the first to tell you that.
More @TheAthleticNBA #Spurs reaction. DeMar made no excuses… “Physically, I’m OK. I just been playing like shit.” pic.twitter.com/UbeKB57YLO
— Jabari Young (@JabariJYoung) January 21, 2019
The year of course started on an epic high note for DeRozan, who notched the first triple double of his NBA career in a revenge game against the Raptors. He put up 21 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists in a 125-107 win. The AT&T Center was revved up for Kawhi Leonard’s return, and the building was as loud as it had ever been.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJGIPVyZMt4
The crowd has been quieter since, and so has DeRozan. He started the season as the team’s most valuable player as LaMarcus Aldridge struggled, but the roles have switched this month. DeRozan is averaging just 15 points per game in January on 39% shooting.
DeMar DeRozan has had a rough stretch since his first career triple double against Toronto.
Over the last nine games:
<5 feet: 17-29 (59%)
5-9 feet: 10-24 (42%)
10+ feet: 23-78 (29%)
3PT: 0/0 pic.twitter.com/djXIQqUnoD— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) January 21, 2019
Obviously, the mid-range shooting has been an issue of late. DeRozan is famous for taking and making tough jumpers off the bounce and out of the post. Over this past month, most of those tough shots have fallen short.
DeMar loves this Kobe step in close. He’s been short with it lately. pic.twitter.com/4Tezn94QPA
— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) January 21, 2019
Tough driving shot against a bigger defender, early in the clock too. Aaaaand short. pic.twitter.com/33qvAycC71
— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) January 21, 2019
Spinning away from a shot like this makes it very hard to not come up short. pic.twitter.com/bQ2z9NUlza
— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) January 21, 2019
You can hear DeRozan scream “SHORT” as soon as it leaves his hands on the fade. pic.twitter.com/0bldugRQi5
— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) January 21, 2019
The defense is pretty tight on most of these plays, but he’s falling short even when he has pretty clean looks near the rim.
Even the floaters are short pic.twitter.com/KjjDWPzUeQ
— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) January 21, 2019
Not great defense, just way short on the floater. pic.twitter.com/8VTzSLrnB8
— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) January 21, 2019
DeRozan is having a tough time against some solid defenders, but he isn’t making it easier for himself by settling for jumpers where he doesn’t create much space. It’s considered a bad shot by modern NBA standards, though usually DeRozan hits them. He isn’t hitting right now though, but he keeps chucking early in the shot clock with a hand in his face.
This stepback created absolutely no space, and the shot was way jerkier and harder than it should have been. pic.twitter.com/36uiQ49kpF
— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) January 21, 2019
A well-contested 2 out of isolation early in the shot clock. Awful shot selection. pic.twitter.com/bYp6CHnwy8
— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) January 21, 2019
Plenty of time, no space, forces up a J. pic.twitter.com/8j1NHbsRa1
— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) January 21, 2019
Taking a long jumper early in the clock makes no effort to break the defense down by attacking the rim. Settling for outside jumpers makes things easier for opponents and more stagnant for teammates. He’s shooting 29% from outside of ten feet this month, and when shots are not falling shot selection needs to improve.
Why settle for this J when you can take the ball out and dance on the big man? pic.twitter.com/uz4RbdBqFL
— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) January 21, 2019
Kids watching this at home, please never pull up this early in the clock ever. pic.twitter.com/HFycR1Nt2p
— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) January 21, 2019
If you’ve been notably missing shots lately, maybe don’t settle for a jumper 10 seconds into the game. pic.twitter.com/ZqS0dHtnJW
— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) January 21, 2019
Sometimes the game situation dictates that DeRozan taking a contested jumper is the best possible option, but late clock attempts allow the defender to get right up in his face at the buzzer.
He has to get this up late in the clock, but again, no space. pic.twitter.com/npX3Dh2g32
— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) January 21, 2019
Stepback on PG for the lead, jerky release for whatever reason and it’s short. pic.twitter.com/XbJjiixzay
— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) January 21, 2019
Most of the jumpers in this stretch have come up short, which could be attributed to tired legs. He’s played 35 minutes per game this year, his most since 2013-14. A few of the long misses came in the most recent contest against the Clippers. It was almost like DeRozan told himself he needed to stop missing short, even if it meant overshooting a few.
One of the rare long misses. pic.twitter.com/TqfKFmM4c3
— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) January 21, 2019
Hmmm strong again 🧐 pic.twitter.com/KMLYjF5mgQ
— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) January 21, 2019
Long miss AGAIN vs the Clippers. pic.twitter.com/KfvIIiEw2F
— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) January 21, 2019
DeRozan likes attacking defenders who are close to him. He’s phenomenal at drawing contact on jumpers and drives to the rim, but he hasn’t been getting the calls recently. He’s shooting 3.7 free throws a game in this cold stretch, down from 6.2 in December. On some plays, he has a legitimate gripe with officials.
DeRozan does seem a bit frustrated that he’s not getting calls like these. pic.twitter.com/wxwzpZnL9U
— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) January 21, 2019
Hits the jets in transition, finishes through an obvious foul.
Can’t blame him for being frustrated by the no calls lately. pic.twitter.com/M0SAcxyNNS— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) January 21, 2019
Definitely a foul on the perimeter, maybe one at the rim too. pic.twitter.com/4ocFgBYbAo
— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) January 21, 2019
Probably could’ve been a foul, but wasn’t. pic.twitter.com/rA4J55Tguk
— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) January 21, 2019
DeRozan is very good at doing things that should be called fouls in today’s NBA, and the officials get it right more often than not.
If your hands are down defending the drive, DeMar will rip through them and shoot. pic.twitter.com/Bla3pxQWb2
— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) January 21, 2019
DeRozan still finishes through contact a lot. pic.twitter.com/aFLLLl1dys
— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) January 21, 2019
On some plays, it seems DeRozan is more concerned about drawing contact than he is about finishing the shot. If he goes into a move anticipating a foul, it looks pretty bad when the whistle doesn’t come. Defenses have done very well bother his shots closely without fouling
If DeMar was trying to draw the foul here, he used one too many pump fakes. pic.twitter.com/2eRDIQeay2
— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) January 21, 2019
He seems to be going for the foul here, and the contact is pretty minimal. pic.twitter.com/UJnUUqI1dr
— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) January 21, 2019
Again, focusing on the drawing a foul part and not on finishing. pic.twitter.com/ALhWFAkGon
— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) January 21, 2019
This move usually gets DeRozan to the rim or to the line, but the Thunder had it scouted perfectly.
DeMar loves this dribble left rip through on the left block, Paul George knew this was coming. pic.twitter.com/1rTLkJ9FIs
— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) January 21, 2019
This time that rip through goes off Westbrook’s leg pic.twitter.com/UyD2BLlkfT
— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) January 21, 2019
DeRozan is turning the ball over 4 times a game in January, double his number from December. As Paul Garcia of Project Spurs noted, he’s mainly turning it over by dribbling the ball off of himself and making bad passes. When you put the ball on the floor and throw it around, these things happen.
Of course Kyle Anderson had this behind the back bouncer scouted. pic.twitter.com/EpGaef8TXb
— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) January 21, 2019
This one’s actually Gay’s fault, the ball is going out to Bryn for three. pic.twitter.com/LgdDdNkozM
— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) January 21, 2019
Some of the really bad passes come not when DeRozan is on the move, but when stands still and stares down his intended target. When those passes cross the court, they very often lead to transition opportunities for the bad guys.
Telegraphed this one. pic.twitter.com/zeZUIXlYk1
— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) January 21, 2019
Wanted a foul on Schroeder, got stuffed, got it back, telegraphed his pass out of the double. pic.twitter.com/KKmx6AQ054
— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) January 21, 2019
The recent struggles seem to be impacting DeRozan’s confidence. He’s shooting just 72% from the stripe this month, and some of his misses from the floor are unexplainable.
Wut pic.twitter.com/KWCXrCqZvj
— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) January 21, 2019
Tony Parker on the crossover, me on the finish. pic.twitter.com/EzpnAl1S4j
— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) January 21, 2019
Yikes my dude pic.twitter.com/6K9XSJFRBI
— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) January 21, 2019
DeRozan is in a funk, but it’s not the end of the world. He’s still doing a lot of things at a very high level, and with a few adjustments he can get some easier looks and be more effective to help bust this slump. That will be the focus of Part 2 tomorrow.
