Moderators: DG88, niQ, Duffman100, tsherkin, Reeko, lebron stopper, HiJiNX, 7 Footer, Morris_Shatford
Joker wrote:Wasn’t expecting it? It was rumoured on every sports news outlet every day for like 10 straight days before the trade.
Demar just needed to go on the internet once.
MavCarter wrote:I kind of wish dd handled this like blake did man. Blake just thanked the organization and moved on. He could have easily threw a fit and called out jerry west for trading him after signing a 5 year deal to stay in LA. Signing a 5 year deal could have easily been a "gap of miscommunication" for "im not trading you". Blake was arguably the best or 2nd best player in franchise history too and was in LA for basically the same amount of time DD was here. The dude didn't even get a phone call, he found out through twitter that he was traded. Here we are though, raptors being portrayed as huge snakes
Chandan wrote:TOStateofMind wrote:He’s obviously still hurt by the trade cause he wasn’t expecting it. He said himself he still shocked. It is a business though and DD is going though it for the first time. Him calling Kyle and rudy, going to drakes house was a good read.
Yep when people are shook they immediately agree to interview with ESPN and talk about their feelings.
Joker wrote:The more demar talks about what he did for the franchise, the more people are going to bring up his playoff catastrophes, so I don't get the PR strategy there.
StopitLeo wrote:bon wrote:HiMyNameIsTrey wrote:Lmao, Derozan talking about sacrificing his years here? This guy really is clueless and the way he mentions Lebron shows once again he doesn’t have a winner’s mentality. Masai should have traded this bum 5 years ago
The "sacrifice" angle is ridiculous anyway you look at it. He's almost 30 and he STILL hasn't become better at the 2 things that would benefit the team around him (defense and 3 point shooting).
The sacrifice angle isn't ridiculous at all. Many people focus on the limitations of his game but take for granted how much he developed in other areas. At the time of his first extension he would looked to be at best a starter in the league, not a four time All-Star and two time All-NBA player (2nd and 3rd team).
You need to go back and look at the skills he had when he was drafted and during the years of his rookie deal. It's incredible that he became as good as he has. In the off-season players always give the standard answer about "trying to get better" and "adding something new each year". DeMar is one of the few guys who actually backs that up.
He came into the league riding his athleticism. He wasn't much of a jump shooter past 16 feet because his shot was inconsistent. His mechanics also limited his range, which I believe is the main he hasn't shot a lot of 3s in his career. Building range with his mechanics is a slow process and they weren't going to tear his shot down when it just needed refinement; moreover, the league wouldn't move to being 3 pt shooting heavy for several years.
As a rookie he was too weak to finish at the rim with any contact (true of many rookies). He had weak handles and no left-hand to speak of. He improved all of those skills into his second contract. During that extension he improved enough that he started to post guys up.
He then developed what many have called the best footwork in the league and a deadly mid-range game because of it. His ball-handling while driving to the hoop improved enough that he could start using eurosteps and other creative moves to avoid defenders and/or draw fouls. He started being able to finish with both hands, even when being bumped. He also took his FT% from 76% as a rookie to a career average of 83%.
He averaged 2.5 assists per game in his fourth season, a career high at that point. He improved his playmaking and bumped that up to 4.0 the following year and last year dished out 5.2 assists per game. That isn't just being less selfish with the ball, that is actual improvement in skill.
He's still not much of a 3pt shooter but you can be sure he's continued to work on it. He's close enough to it being a threat that the defense have to consider, the same way Wade was not a good 3pt shooter, or even Kobe to be honest.
He has sacrificed a lot in the sense of the amount of time he has dedicated to improving his game. He was doing 5 am workouts in at the Olympics in Rio before Team USA met at 11 am to start their practice. We know about his late night shooting sessions, even on holidays. Just look at his improvement since coming into the league. That doesn't happen without an insane commitment to getting better.
DeMar never developed into the MVP-level player you need to be a true contender in the league, but we should be pretty damn thankful for how good of a player he did become. Without his immense improvement we would never have reached the heights that the franchise has. Even if you want to argue that Lowry has been a better player part of his success is because he played with DeRozan.
kj_ wrote:I just watched the entire interview. I have been a Demar supporter as a person, for how he’s represented the raptors and toronto and for what he’s brought to the basketball floor. I’ve appreciated his dedication and hard work and that he has improved his game every single year he’s been in the league. I appreciate his role in “helping” to move the team from terrible to very good. I say “helping” because he was a part of it, not the entire thing. He was a big part of it and deserves credit for that.
Now... that video made me sad for Demar.
He sees himself as the victim in this and fails to see any other point of view. His big issue with Masai was that didn’t give him any indication he might be involved in a trade and that’s the part he has a problem with.
Well Demar, everyone that’s been following this team even a little bit has been well aware “no player is untouchable” ... you are a part of that. That was your heads up. Also, every Kawhi trade rumour involving the raptors included your name ... there’s another heads up.
Your public campaign (this interview, Instagram posts) to play the victim and try to angle yourself as the poor innocent player who was treated badly in an attempt to paint Masai as the villain here is immature, childish and more importantly unprofessional.
This was a basketball transaction that was very foreseeable and there isn’t a good guy and a bad guy. Your treating this like a break up where the person dumped talks badly about the other publicly to get everyone on there side so they can feel better about themselves. It’s a childish way to deal with a break up. One day you will realize that the relationship you had with the raptors and Masai was mutually beneficial but also had run its course for both parties. Life will go on, so will basketball, you were not mistreated and there doesn’t always need to be a victim and a villain when personal relationships change.
Grow up Demar, it’s time.
Throwback24 wrote:DD embodies every reason why we faltered in the playoffs. I'm not poking fun at him or making light of his struggles when I say he's a mentally weak player who can't accept criticism.
The entitlement is so rich, I always suspected he would default to being a prima donna if he didn't get his way. Good riddance. Could you imagine being Casey having to walk around egg shells with him?
D D demar.... would you mind playing defense?
Nah coach, I'm putting the team on my back out there.
He actually believes he's the greatest Raptor ever. Kawhi is and he hasn't stepped a single foot on the court yet. Do you know what's worse? He was clearly aware of what was going on. So much so he purged his page of all content days before the trade became official.
Go underperform elsewhere. Good riddance.
sofargone wrote:Throwback24 wrote:DD embodies every reason why we faltered in the playoffs. I'm not poking fun at him or making light of his struggles when I say he's a mentally weak player who can't accept criticism.
The entitlement is so rich, I always suspected he would default to being a prima donna if he didn't get his way. Good riddance. Could you imagine being Casey having to walk around egg shells with him?
D D demar.... would you mind playing defense?
Nah coach, I'm putting the team on my back out there.
He actually believes he's the greatest Raptor ever. Kawhi is and he hasn't stepped a single foot on the court yet. Do you know what's worse? He was clearly aware of what was going on. So much so he purged his page of all content days before the trade became official.
Go underperform elsewhere. Good riddance.
Did you watch the video? He's actually shocked he's even in the convo for greatest raptor
Throwback24 wrote:DD embodies every reason why we faltered in the playoffs. I'm not poking fun at him or making light of his struggles when I say he's a mentally weak player who can't accept criticism.
The entitlement is so rich, I always suspected he would default to being a prima donna if he didn't get his way. Good riddance. Could you imagine being Casey having to walk around egg shells with him?
D D demar.... would you mind playing defense?
Nah coach, I'm putting the team on my back out there.
He actually believes he's the greatest Raptor ever. Kawhi is and he hasn't stepped a single foot on the court yet. Do you know what's worse? He was clearly aware of what was going on. So much so he purged his page of all content days before the trade became official.
Go underperform elsewhere. Good riddance.
raf1995 wrote:I just don’t think he has that kind of potential. I think we will regret not trading him for a haul in a few years when he’s a mid-tier starter with nice playmaking and defense and a shaky jumper.
scirocco53 wrote:People are finding fault with an Allstar (with flaws) saying he did all he could for Toronto, worked on bettering himself every year, and wanted to change the stigma around the league that no one wants to play here? Some of the post are pure hate. I don't get it.
We would only be so lucky to have players with that kind of work ethic, and character play for the Raptors in the future. You don't know what you have till it's gone.
I get that trading Kawhi for Demar under any other circumstances would never happen, so there isn't a huge argument that getting the better player meant we won the trade. Who know, maybe Kawhi plays out the rest of his career here, repping Toronto even harder than Demar, and we win a championship. Not holding my breath though.
Sherlock wrote:StopitLeo wrote:bon wrote:
The "sacrifice" angle is ridiculous anyway you look at it. He's almost 30 and he STILL hasn't become better at the 2 things that would benefit the team around him (defense and 3 point shooting).
The sacrifice angle isn't ridiculous at all. Many people focus on the limitations of his game but take for granted how much he developed in other areas. At the time of his first extension he would looked to be at best a starter in the league, not a four time All-Star and two time All-NBA player (2nd and 3rd team).
You need to go back and look at the skills he had when he was drafted and during the years of his rookie deal. It's incredible that he became as good as he has. In the off-season players always give the standard answer about "trying to get better" and "adding something new each year". DeMar is one of the few guys who actually backs that up.
He came into the league riding his athleticism. He wasn't much of a jump shooter past 16 feet because his shot was inconsistent. His mechanics also limited his range, which I believe is the main he hasn't shot a lot of 3s in his career. Building range with his mechanics is a slow process and they weren't going to tear his shot down when it just needed refinement; moreover, the league wouldn't move to being 3 pt shooting heavy for several years.
As a rookie he was too weak to finish at the rim with any contact (true of many rookies). He had weak handles and no left-hand to speak of. He improved all of those skills into his second contract. During that extension he improved enough that he started to post guys up.
He then developed what many have called the best footwork in the league and a deadly mid-range game because of it. His ball-handling while driving to the hoop improved enough that he could start using eurosteps and other creative moves to avoid defenders and/or draw fouls. He started being able to finish with both hands, even when being bumped. He also took his FT% from 76% as a rookie to a career average of 83%.
He averaged 2.5 assists per game in his fourth season, a career high at that point. He improved his playmaking and bumped that up to 4.0 the following year and last year dished out 5.2 assists per game. That isn't just being less selfish with the ball, that is actual improvement in skill.
He's still not much of a 3pt shooter but you can be sure he's continued to work on it. He's close enough to it being a threat that the defense have to consider, the same way Wade was not a good 3pt shooter, or even Kobe to be honest.
He has sacrificed a lot in the sense of the amount of time he has dedicated to improving his game. He was doing 5 am workouts in at the Olympics in Rio before Team USA met at 11 am to start their practice. We know about his late night shooting sessions, even on holidays. Just look at his improvement since coming into the league. That doesn't happen without an insane commitment to getting better.
DeMar never developed into the MVP-level player you need to be a true contender in the league, but we should be pretty damn thankful for how good of a player he did become. Without his immense improvement we would never have reached the heights that the franchise has. Even if you want to argue that Lowry has been a better player part of his success is because he played with DeRozan.
Post of the Thread Candidate #1. DeMar built himself up into the all-star player he became out of a bunch of raw materials, not otherworldly God-given talent. You can argue at the end of the day he still wasn't good enough, but you can't complain that DeMar didn't put in the work to become the best he was capable of being. Would we have been happier if he capped out at Terrence Ross levels? You think anyone would be accepting T-Ross as the headliner in a trade for a guy like Kawhi Leonard?kj_ wrote:I just watched the entire interview. I have been a Demar supporter as a person, for how he’s represented the raptors and toronto and for what he’s brought to the basketball floor. I’ve appreciated his dedication and hard work and that he has improved his game every single year he’s been in the league. I appreciate his role in “helping” to move the team from terrible to very good. I say “helping” because he was a part of it, not the entire thing. He was a big part of it and deserves credit for that.
Now... that video made me sad for Demar.
He sees himself as the victim in this and fails to see any other point of view. His big issue with Masai was that didn’t give him any indication he might be involved in a trade and that’s the part he has a problem with.
Well Demar, everyone that’s been following this team even a little bit has been well aware “no player is untouchable” ... you are a part of that. That was your heads up. Also, every Kawhi trade rumour involving the raptors included your name ... there’s another heads up.
Your public campaign (this interview, Instagram posts) to play the victim and try to angle yourself as the poor innocent player who was treated badly in an attempt to paint Masai as the villain here is immature, childish and more importantly unprofessional.
This was a basketball transaction that was very foreseeable and there isn’t a good guy and a bad guy. Your treating this like a break up where the person dumped talks badly about the other publicly to get everyone on there side so they can feel better about themselves. It’s a childish way to deal with a break up. One day you will realize that the relationship you had with the raptors and Masai was mutually beneficial but also had run its course for both parties. Life will go on, so will basketball, you were not mistreated and there doesn’t always need to be a victim and a villain when personal relationships change.
Grow up Demar, it’s time.
Post of the Thread Candidate #2. Well put. DeMar, we love you for what you've done, but you need to grow up and move on. Yes your feelings got hurt, but that doesn't mean that people were out there actively trying to hurt you. So you can be upset, but at some point (soon!) you need to get over it and move on with your life. Continuing to take shots or hold a grudge is only going to make you look worse the longer this continues.
Red_Claw wrote:
Doug, your rep doesn't go far but man this is embarrassing, even for you.
If i was getting 30 mil a year, you can send me to North Korea.
Mr.Raptorsingh wrote:
Yeah I didn't hear that either lol. It must be in the full interview. Oh snap, well then....
StopitLeo wrote:First and foremost I want to say that I feel bad for DeRozan and how the trade went down from his perspective. What he has done for the Raptors certainly earned him the courtesy of being told he was going to be traded if that was possible. I can totally see why he would feel disrespected and lied to even though I think the scenario by which the trade happened probably didn't allow him to be told he was about to be traded.
Woj said this in an interview a few months back:“One thing about Masai Ujiri: He has never been afraid to talk about his star players in trade talks,” Wojnarowski said. “He’s not going to tell you anybody’s untouchable, and teams around the league know that. So they’ll talk about almost anything with this roster.”
Woj doesn't say things that aren't true these days. There is no way that the players and agents are not aware of this. It isn't to suggest Masai was actively trying to move anyone but simply that anyone could be traded if the right deal came along.
Based on what Masai and DeMar have said, DeMar was at least aware that his name had come up in trade discussion this summer. At the time he and Masai spoke in summer league he was told that he was not being traded (not to say he was promised he would not be traded) and there was nothing imminent (which again suggests his name had been discussed). That could have been 100% true; Masai said they were 4th or something with respect to teams making offers to the Spurs. It isn't unreasonable that the Raptors didn't think they were out of the running for Kawhi.
Information from Danny Green's podcast suggests that that agreement on the trade came together quickly. Green said that in a previous season he was told by the Spurs that if they signed KD he might be traded (I'm paraphrasing) but that he was blindsided by this trade. Did the Spurs suddenly decide to be jerks about it or more likely did they not have the opportunity to tell Green he was about to be traded? I think it is obviously the latter. Moreover, when the Raptors had agreed to trade Lowry to the Knicks Kyle never said anything about being surprised by the trade. He had his bags packed and ready to go and thought it was a done deal. I think if he was blindsided it would have come out and/or he would have been pissed and certainly not re-sign here.
If the Raptors thought they were out of the trade discussions but then Buford calls to accept an offer previously discussed, or makes an offer Masai can't refuse, there is no opportunity for either executive to tell their players that they are about to be traded. It sucks for the players and the teams because neither wants the relationship to end in that way.
I'm just tired of this whole discussion about DeMar being lied to. Is it so hard to see a scenario where he feels lied to but the team didn't actually lie to him? It's not something sinister like they told him he wasn't being traded at summer league but at the same time Masai had his blackberry behind his back texting Buford at the same time.
