The San Antonio Spurs blew a 26-point lead against the Houston Rockets on Monday night, and in the midst of the collapse, head coach Gregg Popovich pulled DeMar DeRozan with 4:46 remaining in the fourth quarter.
In the waning moments of the game in a key possession for the Spurs, DeRozan could be seen sulking on the bench while the rest of his teammates were standing up:
Pop pulled DeMar DeRozan with 4:46 left, and he responded with some really bad body language.
I get being upset, but he was completely disengaged to the point of not clapping for teammates in a tight game.
Is it time for the Spurs to move on and trade him? pic.twitter.com/C1d8uk6LIT
— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) December 17, 2019
While people generally make too much of things like this, this is not a good look.
DeRozan scored 12 points while shooting 5-of-13 from the floor in what ended up being a 109-107 loss, the latest blow in what has been a nightmarish season for San Antonio.
Trade speculation has surrounded DeRozan since last spring, but nothing concrete has ever come out of it. With the trade deadline two months away, you have to wonder if the Spurs will now actively try to move the wing.
Of course, San Antonio initially acquired DeRozan in a blockbuster trade that sent superstar forward Kawhi Leonard to the Toronto Raptors during the summer of 2018.
During his first season with the Spurs, DeRozan played in 77 games and averaged 21.2 points, 6.2 assists, six rebounds and 1.1 steals over 34.9 minutes per game while shooting 48.1 percent from the floor, 15.6 percent from three-point range and 83 percent from the free-throw line.
The 30-year-old has posted similar numbers through 26 contests this year, registering 20.9 points, 5.6 assists and five boards across 34.3 minutes a night while making 50.1 percent of his field-goal attempts, 31.3 percent of his long-distance tries and 79.5 percent of his foul shots.
However, DeRozan owns an alarming minus-14.8 net rating.
The Spurs are just 10-16 on the season.
Follow Us
Subscribe