DeMar DeRozan says that he’s fine with players not doubling him in the clutch and says that he’ll get the pineapple first in those situations.
DeMar DeRozan’s spotlight in the eyes of mainstream NBA media took a hit when he got traded to a team that has been notorious for keep a low profile and succeeding in silence. The San Antonio Spurs lost a generational player in Kawhi Leonard and no package the Toronto Raptors offered in return could’ve equaled the value Leonard brought to a team.
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The Raps didn’t get away with a highway robbery or anything however as DeMar DeRozan has quietly been having some quality career years in the two years he’s been a Spur. Just last night, DeRozan clutched up with 32 points and 8 assists against the New Orleans Pelicans in a pivotal win that could decide the fate of which teams get into the play-in tournament this season.
He’s had some All-Star caliber performances since his time in San Antonio commenced back in 2019, with a bevy of them coming with the game on the line.
DeMar DeRozan talks about hitting game winners in isolation.
DeMar DeRozan has effectively transformed his game from being an iso-heavy scorer who couldn’t really read what pass to make on drives to the hoop at a high level, to someone filling up the stat sheet with 7-9 assists a night.
However, when the game’s on the line, DeMar knows it’s time to let the young players stay out on the perimeter and out of his way as he breaks down his defender to get a clean look for clutch shot. When asked about not being guarded all too heavily in the clutch, DeRozan responded with a confusing yet hilarious anecdote.
No one really knows what he means by ‘getting to the pineapple first’ but it can be assumed he means being able to hit clutch shots over a singular defender with ease. Most recently, the mid-range connoisseur showcased this ability by torching the Mavericks for 33 points and hitting the game-winning stepback middy over Tim Hardaway Jr for the win.
