First traded, then double-teamed, DeRozan expects more trouble from Toronto
DeMar DeRozan's numbers against Toronto this season are eye opening.
Nine shots in the first meeting, 6 shots in the second, 11 in the third. His 14.0 scoring average is the lowest of any opponent.
DeRozan knows the story. The Raptors and coach Nick Nurse put a higher priority on getting the ball out of DeRozan's hands than any team in the NBA. Double teams were the norm for Nurse.
"That's Nick Nurse. I'm going to deal with it," DeRozan said after Sunday's regular season finale. "I know how to deal with it now, but playing against Nick and those guys, they try to do everything in their power to make sure I don't beat them."
The Bulls' season will be on the line Wednesday when they visit Toronto for the 10 vs. 9 play-in game. The winner then plays the loser of the Atlanta at Miami game with the No. 8 playoff seed at stake.
"With that, we've got a couple days to game plan, put together something," DeRozan added. "I'm aware of it for sure. For my sake, I definitely have my own theory about it, how I'm going to deal with it."
DeRozan was drafted by the Raptors with the No. 9 overall draft pick in 2009 and spent his first nine seasons in Toronto. Nurse was a Raptors assistant under Dwane Casey for five of those years. In the summer of 2018, Casey was fired, Nurse was promoted to head coach and DeRozan was traded to San Antonio for Kawhi Leonard, who led Toronto to the NBA title.
So DeRozan has a complicated history with Toronto, but plenty of happy memories. He was the first Raptors star to sign a contract extension to stay in Canada. He remains the team's all-time leader in points and games played.
"That was home to me," DeRozan said. "It was everything for me, the way they embraced me, everything. Even if I tried to, there's nothing I could ever possibly say was wrong with Canada, other than getting double-taxed."
Asked if there's any places he likes to visit when he returns to Toronto, DeRozan said, "Nah, I just stay inside. I don't try to do too much."
The Bulls went 1-2 against the Raptors this season, with the home team winning each game. The Bulls held a fourth-quarter lead in both games at Toronto.
DeRozan has play-in experience. He scored 20 points in the Spurs' 100-96 loss at Memphis in 2021.
"You've got to be composed," he said. "Throughout the game, there are so many shifts. You've got to have that moment where you look up and the time on the clock is really your season. You've just got to focus on the moment."
Patrick Beverley still gets notoriety for his over-the-top celebration with Minnesota in last year's Western Conference play-in. The Timberwolves were the No. 7 seed and beat the Clippers to advance to the real playoffs.
"You never know (if the team is ready)," Beverley said. "It's all about jumping into the fire. I don't think you can get ready for the playoffs. It's the kind of thing you kind of embrace when you get there. Have fun, trust your preparation."
The Bulls went 13-9 with Beverley in the lineup. His third game with the Bulls was a 104-98 loss at Toronto on Feb. 28. If there's one thing the Bulls have proved this season, they can beat any team and lose to any team.
"It's going to be loud," Zach LaVine predicted. "Toronto's always a great place to play, especially with the one game elimination."
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