DeMar DeRozan
Encyclopedia
DeMar Darnell DeRozan is an American professional basketball
player, selected ninth overall in the 2009 NBA Draft
by the Toronto Raptors
of the NBA
. DeRozan played college basketball
at USC
for the Trojans. He is a 6'7", 220 lb shooting guard
for the Toronto Raptors.
, California
. He was able to dunk by the time he was in sixth grade.
and was ranked as one of the top college recruits in the nation from the class of 2008. He was ranked #3 in the nation by Rivals.com
and #6 by Scout.com.
He played on the varsity basketball team for all four years of high school. As a freshman, he averaged 26.1 points and 8.4 rebounds. During his sophomore year, he averaged 22.6 points and 8.4 rebounds, while as a junior he averaged 22.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 3.2 steals.
As a senior averaging 29.2 ppg and 7.9 rpg, DeRozan led Compton High School to a 26-6 record, a second consecutive Moore League
championship and the CIF Division IAA Southern Section quarter-finals. For his efforts he was awarded the Moore League Most Valuable Player
Award and named to the California All-State team. DeRozan was a member of the 2008 McDonald's All-American Team
, and also won the 2008 McDonald's All-American Slam Dunk Competition. He was also invited to play in the 2008 Jordan Brand Classic at Madison Square Garden
and the Nike Hoop Summit, where he scored a team-high 17 points. DeRozan's achievements on the court in his senior year saw him earn First Team Parade All-America honors and First Team Best in the West honors.
In November 2007 DeRozan signed a letter of intent
to play basketball at USC. He chose USC over Arizona State and North Carolina
, instead joining his friend, musician-actor-basketball player Romeo Miller
, to play for the Trojans.
In his first game for the Trojans, DeRozan scored a team-high 21 points with seven rebounds in an exhibition game against Azusa Pacific; a 85–64 victory at the Galen Center
. DeRozan had 14 points in his first career regular season game in a win over UC Irvine. He scored 21 points along with a career-high 13 rebounds against UCLA in the Pac-10 Tournament semifinals, before scoring a career-high 25 points on 10-for-16 shooting to lead his team to a 61-49 win over Arizona State in the Pac-10 Tournament final. His efforts in the tournament saw him earn First Team Pac-10 All-Freshman honors in addition to being named Pac-10 Tournament MVP.
DeRozan started all 35 season games for the Trojans, scoring in double figures 28 times and posting four double-doubles. He ranked third on team in points (13.9 ppg), second in rebounds (5.7 rpg), third in assists (1.5 apg), and second in field-goal percentage (.523, eighth-best in conference). DeRozan followed his regular-season efforts by averaging 19.8 points in USC's five postseason games. His 485 points ranks third all-time and his 201 rebounds is fourth all-time for a USC freshman.
and forgo his final three years of eligibility at USC. On June 25, 2009, DeRozan was selected ninth overall by the Toronto Raptors
in the 2009 NBA Draft. He stated that part of the reason he left for the NBA after only one year at USC was to help take better care of his mother, who suffers from lupus
. On July 9, 2009, DeRozan was signed to a rookie scale contract by the Raptors. As the fourth contestant in the 2010 Sprite Slam Dunk Competition, DeRozan lost in the final round against three time champion Nate Robinson. The final percentage was 51% to 49%. On December 31, 2010, DeRozan scored a career high of 37 points against the Houston Rockets. DeRozan was selected to compete for the 2011 Sprite Slam Dunk Competition as a replacement for Bucks' guard Brandon Jennings
due to his foot injury. He finished in third place.
| align="left" | 2009–10
| align="left" | Toronto
| 77 || 65 || 21.6 || .498 || .250 || .763 || 2.9 || .7 || .6 || .2 || 8.6
|-
| align="left" | 2010–11
| align="left" | Toronto
| 82 || 82 || 34.8 || .467 || .096 || .813 || 3.8 || 1.8 || 1.0 || .4 || 17.2
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 159 || 147 || 28.4 || .477 || .132 || .797 || 3.4 || 1.3 || .8 || .3 || 13.0
he Toronto Raptors have made two lottery picks in the past two seasons. One of these players was USC Trojan Demar DeRozan, who was picked ninth overall in 2009.
Demar came into Toronto to fill the void the Raptors had at the shooting guard position. His first season was not very impressive as he finished up with numbers of 8.6 PPG, 0.7 APG and 2.9 RPG.
Entering his second season, DeRozan was given a bigger role due to the fact that Chris Bosh had just left the team.
DeRozan began the season with low numbers and was not playing very well. His field goal percentage was up mainly because he would not take many shots during the first few months of the season.
All things changed after one game against the Houston Rockets. In that game, DeRozan piled up a career high of 37 points, which still stands as his highest today.
After that one game, it seemed as if DeRozan received a boost in his game. He seemed to want the ball more, he wanted to take the bigger role for the team.
In doing so, Demar upped his game and his numbers went up dramatically. His scoring got better, he seemed to be hustling for rebounds more, made smart choices when distributing the ball, and started to play better defense.
As of right now, DeRozan is averaging 16.5 PPG, 3.6 RPG and 1.8 APG.
Can he win the Award?
Yes
No
Possibly
Submit Vote vote to see results Can he win the Award?Yes50.2%No18.4%Possibly31.4%Total votes: 474 If we compare these numbers from last season they go up by slightly in terms of rebounding and assists, but the point scoring goes up alot.
PPG +7.9
APG +1.2
RPG +0.7
The only thing that has gotten worse in terms of stats for DeRozan is his field goal and three point percentage.
With the bigger role comes bigger responsibilities, which means Demar has to take harder and more shots. This could lead to the reason why his FG% is low, but his three point percentage is atrocious. He shoots only 9% from behind the arc, something which must be improved.
If DeRozan can improve his jumper, he can easily be a very versatile scorer and average more than twenty points per game next season, much like Andrea Bargnani.
Although the chances of DeRozan winning the award is slim against the likes of Eric Gordon and Derick Rose, DeRozan might have a chance at winning the award.
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player, selected ninth overall in the 2009 NBA Draft
2009 NBA Draft
The 2009 NBA Draft was held on June 25, 2009, the WaMu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur U.S...
by the Toronto Raptors
Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors are a professional basketball team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1995, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, as part of the NBA's re-expansion...
of the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
. DeRozan played college basketball
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
at USC
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
for the Trojans. He is a 6'7", 220 lb shooting guard
Shooting guard
The shooting guard , also known as the two or off guard, is one of five traditional positions on a basketball team. Players of the position are often shorter, leaner, and quicker than forwards. A shooting guard's main objective is to score points for his team...
for the Toronto Raptors.
Early life
DeMar DeRozan is the younger of two sons of Frank and Diane DeRozan in ComptonCompton, California
Compton is a city in southern Los Angeles County, California, United States, southeast of downtown Los Angeles. The city of Compton is one of the oldest cities in the county and on May 11, 1888, was the eighth city to incorporate. The city is considered part of the South side by residents of Los...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. He was able to dunk by the time he was in sixth grade.
High school
DeRozan attended Compton High SchoolCompton High School
Compton High School is a high school in Compton, California, part of the Compton Unified School District.-School history:The school first opened in 1896 as Compton Union High School and then later reestablished as Compton Senior High School in the 1950s after the new community college campus opened...
and was ranked as one of the top college recruits in the nation from the class of 2008. He was ranked #3 in the nation by Rivals.com
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...
and #6 by Scout.com.
He played on the varsity basketball team for all four years of high school. As a freshman, he averaged 26.1 points and 8.4 rebounds. During his sophomore year, he averaged 22.6 points and 8.4 rebounds, while as a junior he averaged 22.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 3.2 steals.
As a senior averaging 29.2 ppg and 7.9 rpg, DeRozan led Compton High School to a 26-6 record, a second consecutive Moore League
Moore League
The Harry J. Moore League is a high school sports league in Southern California. It comprises seven schools: six public traditional high schools of the Long Beach Unified School District, and Compton High School...
championship and the CIF Division IAA Southern Section quarter-finals. For his efforts he was awarded the Moore League Most Valuable Player
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
Award and named to the California All-State team. DeRozan was a member of the 2008 McDonald's All-American Team
McDonald's All-American Team
The McDonald's All-American Game refers to each of the all-star basketball games played each year for boys' and girls' high-school basketball graduates. Consisting of the top American and Canadian players, each team plays a single exhibition game after the conclusion of the high-school basketball...
, and also won the 2008 McDonald's All-American Slam Dunk Competition. He was also invited to play in the 2008 Jordan Brand Classic at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
and the Nike Hoop Summit, where he scored a team-high 17 points. DeRozan's achievements on the court in his senior year saw him earn First Team Parade All-America honors and First Team Best in the West honors.
College
Letter of intent
A letter of intent is a document outlining an agreement between two or more parties before the agreement is finalized. The concept is similar to a heads of agreement...
to play basketball at USC. He chose USC over Arizona State and North Carolina
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
, instead joining his friend, musician-actor-basketball player Romeo Miller
Romeo Miller
Percy Romeo Miller, Jr. , better known by his stage name Romeo , is an American rapper, actor, basketball player, entrepreneur, and model. He is the son of rapper and entrepreneur Master P and former rapper Sonya C. He is the nephew of rappers C-Murder and Silkk the Shocker and the brother of...
, to play for the Trojans.
In his first game for the Trojans, DeRozan scored a team-high 21 points with seven rebounds in an exhibition game against Azusa Pacific; a 85–64 victory at the Galen Center
Galen Center
The Galen Center is a multipurpose indoor arena and athletic facility owned and operated by the University of Southern California. Located at the southeast corner of Jefferson Boulevard and Figueroa Street in the Exposition Park area of Los Angeles, it is right across the street from the campus and...
. DeRozan had 14 points in his first career regular season game in a win over UC Irvine. He scored 21 points along with a career-high 13 rebounds against UCLA in the Pac-10 Tournament semifinals, before scoring a career-high 25 points on 10-for-16 shooting to lead his team to a 61-49 win over Arizona State in the Pac-10 Tournament final. His efforts in the tournament saw him earn First Team Pac-10 All-Freshman honors in addition to being named Pac-10 Tournament MVP.
DeRozan started all 35 season games for the Trojans, scoring in double figures 28 times and posting four double-doubles. He ranked third on team in points (13.9 ppg), second in rebounds (5.7 rpg), third in assists (1.5 apg), and second in field-goal percentage (.523, eighth-best in conference). DeRozan followed his regular-season efforts by averaging 19.8 points in USC's five postseason games. His 485 points ranks third all-time and his 201 rebounds is fourth all-time for a USC freshman.
College statistics
| College | Year | GP | GS | MIN | SPG | BPG | RPG | APG | PPG | FG% | FT% | 3P% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USC | 2008-09 | 35 | 35 | 33.1 | .9 | .4 | 5.7 | 1.5 | 13.9 | .532 | .646 | .167 |
NBA
On April 8, 2009, DeRozan announced he would enter the 2009 NBA Draft2009 NBA Draft
The 2009 NBA Draft was held on June 25, 2009, the WaMu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur U.S...
and forgo his final three years of eligibility at USC. On June 25, 2009, DeRozan was selected ninth overall by the Toronto Raptors
Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors are a professional basketball team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1995, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, as part of the NBA's re-expansion...
in the 2009 NBA Draft. He stated that part of the reason he left for the NBA after only one year at USC was to help take better care of his mother, who suffers from lupus
Systemic lupus erythematosus
Systemic lupus erythematosus , often abbreviated to SLE or lupus, is a systemic autoimmune disease that can affect any part of the body. As occurs in other autoimmune diseases, the immune system attacks the body's cells and tissue, resulting in inflammation and tissue damage...
. On July 9, 2009, DeRozan was signed to a rookie scale contract by the Raptors. As the fourth contestant in the 2010 Sprite Slam Dunk Competition, DeRozan lost in the final round against three time champion Nate Robinson. The final percentage was 51% to 49%. On December 31, 2010, DeRozan scored a career high of 37 points against the Houston Rockets. DeRozan was selected to compete for the 2011 Sprite Slam Dunk Competition as a replacement for Bucks' guard Brandon Jennings
Brandon Jennings
Brandon Jennings is an American professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association who plays at point guard....
due to his foot injury. He finished in third place.
Regular season
|-| align="left" | 2009–10
2009–10 NBA season
The 2009–10 NBA season was the 64th season of the National Basketball Association . The 1,230-game regular season began on Tuesday, October 27, 2009, and ended on Wednesday, April 14, 2010....
| align="left" | Toronto
Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors are a professional basketball team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1995, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, as part of the NBA's re-expansion...
| 77 || 65 || 21.6 || .498 || .250 || .763 || 2.9 || .7 || .6 || .2 || 8.6
|-
| align="left" | 2010–11
| align="left" | Toronto
Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors are a professional basketball team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1995, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, as part of the NBA's re-expansion...
| 82 || 82 || 34.8 || .467 || .096 || .813 || 3.8 || 1.8 || 1.0 || .4 || 17.2
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 159 || 147 || 28.4 || .477 || .132 || .797 || 3.4 || 1.3 || .8 || .3 || 13.0
he Toronto Raptors have made two lottery picks in the past two seasons. One of these players was USC Trojan Demar DeRozan, who was picked ninth overall in 2009.
Demar came into Toronto to fill the void the Raptors had at the shooting guard position. His first season was not very impressive as he finished up with numbers of 8.6 PPG, 0.7 APG and 2.9 RPG.
Entering his second season, DeRozan was given a bigger role due to the fact that Chris Bosh had just left the team.
DeRozan began the season with low numbers and was not playing very well. His field goal percentage was up mainly because he would not take many shots during the first few months of the season.
All things changed after one game against the Houston Rockets. In that game, DeRozan piled up a career high of 37 points, which still stands as his highest today.
After that one game, it seemed as if DeRozan received a boost in his game. He seemed to want the ball more, he wanted to take the bigger role for the team.
In doing so, Demar upped his game and his numbers went up dramatically. His scoring got better, he seemed to be hustling for rebounds more, made smart choices when distributing the ball, and started to play better defense.
As of right now, DeRozan is averaging 16.5 PPG, 3.6 RPG and 1.8 APG.
Can he win the Award?
Yes
No
Possibly
Submit Vote vote to see results Can he win the Award?Yes50.2%No18.4%Possibly31.4%Total votes: 474 If we compare these numbers from last season they go up by slightly in terms of rebounding and assists, but the point scoring goes up alot.
PPG +7.9
APG +1.2
RPG +0.7
The only thing that has gotten worse in terms of stats for DeRozan is his field goal and three point percentage.
With the bigger role comes bigger responsibilities, which means Demar has to take harder and more shots. This could lead to the reason why his FG% is low, but his three point percentage is atrocious. He shoots only 9% from behind the arc, something which must be improved.
If DeRozan can improve his jumper, he can easily be a very versatile scorer and average more than twenty points per game next season, much like Andrea Bargnani.
Although the chances of DeRozan winning the award is slim against the likes of Eric Gordon and Derick Rose, DeRozan might have a chance at winning the award.
High school and college
- 2006 All-Moore League First Team
- 2007 All-Moore League First Team
- 2007 Named to the Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles TimesThe Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
First Team - 2008 Parade Magazine All-America First Team
- 2008 Long Beach Press-Telegram's Best in the West First Team
- 2008 McDonald's High School All-American
- 2008 Jordan Brand All-American Classic
- 2008 Southern California Interscholastic Basketball Coaches Association I-AA Player of the Year (tied with two others)
- 2008 All-State Team
- 2009 Pac-10 Tournament Champion
- 2009 Named Most Outstanding PlayerMost Valuable PlayerIn sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
in Pac-10 Tournament