DeMar DeRozan is having an excellent season in his first year with the San Antonio Spurs, and he's crediting his head coach Gregg Popovich for his growth. DeRozan told Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News:
“He places a lot of freedom on me just to be myself and not go out there and think…For the most part, just letting me be free.”
DeRozan is scoring 22.9 points per game, which is similar to his averages in recent years with the Toronto Raptors. But he's impacting the game in a variety of other ways. DeRozan is averaging career highs in rebounds (5.9) and assists (6.3) this season.
His versatility is a big reason for San Antonio's 21-17 record. The Spurs started off the year slow, and many believed that the consistent San Antonio machine would miss the playoffs for the first time since 1997. But Popovich and DeRozan have since settled things down, and they remain in the thick of things in the Western Conference.
The Spurs have won 10 of their last 13 games and sit in eighth place in the Western Conference. Popovich always seems to find a way to succeed no matter the personnel, and this year is no different. The Spurs are getting major contributions from unheralded players. Rudy Gay has found the fountain of youth, Bryn Forbes is having a breakout year, and DeMar DeRozan isn't letting the unexpected trade that brought him to the Spurs affect him.
Popovich is one of the best coaches in the NBA and is reminding everyone of that once again.
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