DeRozan is currently at 21,685 career points
- 21,791 - Larry Bird (106 pts behind)
- 21,813 - Gary Payton (138 pts behind)
- 22,195 - Clyde Drexler (510 pts behind)
- 23,149 - Elgin Baylor (1,464 pts behind)
- 23,165 - Dwyane Wade (1,480 pts behind)
- 23,177 - Adrian Dantley (1,492 pts behind)
- 23,334 - Robert Parish (1,649 pts behind)
- 23,757 - Charles Barkley (2,072 pts behind)
As a Raptors fan, I got a good look at DeRozan.
He defence was obviously lacking (more so then than now), and his 3 point shot (which he has markedly improved) was weak.
But that said, the rest of his game was incredible, and this guy is one of the most underrated All-Star and All-NBA calibre players since 2000.
He could attack the basket. He had likely the best mid-range jump shot in the league for much of the past 12 years, and he was a reliable playmaker and rebounder.
If Jordan could give you 30/6/6, DeRozan could give you 25/5/5 (or certainly 23/4/4).
Didn’t quite have Jordan’s post game, but his offensive game was a lot like Jordan’s for somebody who was so seldom compared to him.
We’ve seen a HIGH bar for shooting guards over the last 30 years: Jordan, Kobe, Wade, Drexler, Harden. It’s easy to overlook such a talented player as DeRozan.
Had he played in the late 80s and 90s… people would have likely seen him differently.