Everything is amplified in the playoffs, from the calls made by officials to the play on the court (from star players in particular).
Despite advancing to the second round, the Raptors‘ DeMar DeRozan has been criticized for a number of poor performances this postseason, especially shooting and efficiency-wise. An injured thumb certainly hasn't helped matters for the All-Star.
Still, some critics believe that DeRozan's struggles will have a negative impact on his free agency negotiations, if he decides to opt out from Toronto. Indications are that he'll at least opt out from his current deal and try to re-sign with the Raptors; if that doesn't work out, he'll hit the open market.
Michael Lee of The Vertical questioned if DeRozan's play this postseason will make teams reluctant to offer him the max. DeRozan isn't too concerned about it. From Lee:
“I feel like I have nothing to worry about,” DeRozan said of his pending free agency. “I take it day by day, whatever happens. I’m not even looking towards then. I’m thinking about the next game and trying to figure out that.”
DeRozan's focus appears to be in the right place. Now it's time for him to prove it.
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