DeMar DeRozan Must Shoulder More

Any team that loses its secondary scoring option to end a season in the midst of a playoff push will have to make adjustments. For the Spurs, it will naturally result in needing to rely more on its primary option to shoulder a heavier load of playmaking responsibility.

On the season, DeRozan is already averaging 22.2 points and 5.6 assists while producing 1.378 PPP (92nd percentile) on overall offense, which includes both scoring and passing possessions. He’s thrived by being highly effective in areas such as pick-and-roll, isolation, and post-ups.

During his time with the Toronto Raptors, DeRozan has had some years with a considerably higher usage rate than his current figure (26.4%) with the Spurs this season. He shouldn’t have an issue going back to those levels considering he’s done it plenty in the past.