DeRozan: 'Once I get going, it's going to be a scary sight'
DeMar DeRozan isn't concerned about the offensive struggles that have plagued him through the first two games of the 2016 postseason.
The Toronto Raptors All-Star shooting guard has been bottled up by Paul George and the rest of the Indiana Pacers' active, physical defense; he's shot just 10-of-37 in the two games (which the two teams split), and has taken just six free throws in total after averaging 8.4 per game during the regular season. In Toronto's Game 2 win on Monday, he sat for the entire fourth quarter.
DeRozan, though, feels confident his production will rebound in short order, and return to the career-best standard he set for himself this year.
"I don't mind having bad shooting nights," he said after practice Tuesday, following Toronto's Game 2 win Monday night. "You gotta be able to take the good with the bad, so to speak. I had a great season; the season's over with. Just had two rough shooting nights. I don't think it's the end of the world, we still won. But once I get going, once the shots start falling, and everything gets to going, it's going to be a scary sight for whoever we're playing, honestly."
In the meantime, Raptors center Jonas Valanciunas has stepped up and assumed a larger share of the scoring burden, punishing the Pacers' undersized bigs to average 17.5 points and 17 rebounds in the series.
DeRozan suspects that Valanciunas' emergence will make things easier on him and backcourt mate Kyle Lowry, who himself struggled in shooting just 7-of-26 (1-of-12 from deep) in the first two games.
"It's definitely gonna open up a lot of things for us, because I'm pretty sure they're gonna be worried about JV next game," DeRozan said.
Making quick reads and passing out of double-teams have never been the young Lithuanian's strengths (he recorded just 42 assists in 60 games this season), and DeRozan and the rest of the team have apparently impressed upon Valanciunas just how necessary it will be for him to step up in that regard.
"That's one thing we definitely talk with JV (about)," he said. "Understanding, now they're gonna come after you, and try to get the ball out of your hands. And you gotta be able to make plays for everybody else to get easy buckets."
The Raptors will try to wrest back home-court advantage when the series shifts to Indiana for Game 3 on Thursday.