Hey DeMar are you gonna beat Gordon?
"Eric? Yeah, of course." Said DeRozan jokingly.
He was joking, but the confidence came through. With good reason. Consider the amount of times fans have caught him flying through the highlight reels on NBA.com. Throwing down lob passes from everybody and two handing rebounds back through the mesh. Which I like to call "Humphries". DeRozan and his team of cutters have captivated fans in Toronto. Watching a Raptors game now has the added attraction of waiting for the dunks to happen. Waiting for a moment to stand and gasp and applaud the effort. Which is a welcomed addition to a previously non athletic team. Derozan's high-flying displays have not only caught the eyes of Toronto basketball fans, they have caught the eyes of the NBA itself. His antics have earned him a spot in the NBA's first ever dunk-in. A competition between the Clippers Eric Gordan and himself to see who will get the final spot on Saturdays dunk comp with the big boys. Which is an opportunity for DeRozan to break out of the Canadian Cocoon and show the rest of the BBall community what he is capable of and what his entertainment value is. More importantly it is an opportunity for DeMar to gain a little publicity for the Raptors organization. TSN highlights are one thing, Friday and possibly Saturday night on TNT is another
We are in the Midst of a decent season. The team is fun to watch. They are winning games and playing like the care. You have two starting caliber point guards tossing up alley-oops to slashing wing men and a franchise player exceeding expectations. Add to that our ever growing international supporting cast/fan base and what you got is a fun team to watch. The need for aggressive offence as a result of spotty defence also helps. And do you know what? I've gotten used to the fact that no matter what happens the Raptors won't get much play in the U.S.A. Which is fine, maybe they can take advantage of the European stars market the team to the world. Of course it would be nice to get some attention and with this dunk comp, I hope we can see some excitement generated south of the border. Everyone remembers Vince and his elbow hanging, but that was ten years ago and people are starting to forget that he even played for the Raptors. And every year in between then and now had us with a Vince Carter with ailing knees and no desire to play here, a few good teams, a lot of bad ones and no one featured on the plays on the week. We had Jamario Moon Throwing down occasionally, but no one remembers his 2008 D-comp campaign, mainly because it was awful. I won't knock Moon's playing ability, dunk comps don't prove that, but in the midst of a middling 2007-2008 season having a Raptor on the main stage for awhile and eventually disappointing himself and fans was a bit of a blow. Adding wood to the boring fire and giving strength the don't know don't care attitude of American fans and commentators alike.
On Feb 12th 2010 DeMar DeRozan has the opportunity to heal some of those wounds Vince the Prince left. He can make a name for himself helping him progress as a player. He can help his team gain momentum going into the "second half". He can set the pace of his career. I hope he does and I think he will.
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