DeRozan draws analogy to Neo in 'The Matrix' to explain hot start

DeMar DeRozan has always been a capable scorer, but it's quite evident that through nine games this season the league's leading scorer has made a leap.

Having scored over 30 in eight of his first nine games, DeRozan not only leads the league with an average of 34 points per game, he also finds himself in the company of Michael Jordan with his statistical achievements.

So what has changed for the 27-year-old? What accounts for his 10-point spike in scoring average?

"It’s like Neo in 'The Matrix,'" DeRozan said of his new familiarity with the game, according to Doug Smith of the Toronto Star.

"I watch so much film, I study so much - every angle, every defensive coverage, every opponent. Even nights before games, understanding if there’s going to be a big guy or a smaller guy on me, just really getting mentally prepared that way just sets it all differently when I go out there and play."

Or put another way, DeRozan has seen it all through his eight seasons.

This campaign alone defenses have tried smaller players, larger players, overloading the strong side, double teaming, and in rare occasions - like his 34-point shellacking of the Miami Heat - defenses have even double teamed him at halfcourt.

DeRozan has scored regardless of what the defense levies his way, and again, he attributes that to understanding exactly how to get to his spot for his shot in whatever scenario arises.

"I think it’s like being in your house in the dark, right?" DeRozan added. "You turn the lights off and you still know where you’ve got to go. You know where the dining (room) table is, the chair, you know where’s what. You know where the stairs are at, all of that.

"I think at this point, that’s what it feels like to me late in the game. I’m just used to it. I’m comfortable with it. And if I step on a toy or something, I know I didn’t put it there."