Knicks Rumors: Pros And Cons Of Pursuing DeMar DeRozan

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May 17, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan (10) shoots between Cleveland Cavaliers forward Channing Frye (9) and Cleveland Cavaliers forward Richard Jefferson (24) during the second quarter in game one of the Eastern conference finals of the NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /

Con: Midrange Dependency

If DeMar DeRozan were playing 10 years ago, he’d likely be a significantly bigger star. Shooting guards feasted by driving the lane and lighting teams up from midrange, with a minimal emphasis being placed on 3-point shooting.

In the modern era, however, a midrange shooter who fails to provide a steady impact from 3-point range is viewed as limited offensively.

To be clear, there’s nothing wrong with being proficient from midrange; it’s a skill that proves quite valuable in the postseason. The issue, however, is that DeRozan depends far too heavily on his midrange jump shot.

DeRozan routinely pulls up for contested midrange jump shots, which is an inefficient approach to offensive execution.

DeRozan shot a career-best 33.8 percent from 3-point range in 2015-16, which is a promising sign. His career-high is 64 3-point field goals made in a single season, however, which simply will not suffice in the modern era.

Jeff Hornacek’s offense would mask some of DeRozan’s flaws and focus more on his strengths, but there needs to be an improvement from beyond the arc.

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