Toronto Raptors all-star DeMar DeRozan has made a living on his array of mid-range and high-post moves, and ability to get to the free-throw line.
The man who, earlier this season, Kevin Durant said has the best footwork in the NBA, is especially adept at using a pump fake to lure defenders off their feet, which often leads to open looks or creates contact and sends DeRozan to the charity stripe, where he’s a career 83 per cent free-throw shooter.
And he gets there often. Over the past five seasons DeRozan has averaged eight free-throw attempts per game, which ranks him fourth in the NBA behind only James Harden, Russell Westbrook, and DeMarcus Cousins.
While his arsenal of moves make him a tough guard for anybody in the NBA, his scouting report is common knowledge in league circles.
It’s why, as ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported after Game 1’s overtime collapse, Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue has instituted a penalty should his players bite on DeRozan’s famous up fake while guarding him during the series:
[blockquote]Thompson was his energetic self, racking up 14 points and 12 rebounds. Maybe most important, he didn’t bite on pump fakes that DeRozan tried to throw at him. The Cavs have a standing $100 fine for falling for DeRozan’s trap, and Thompson didn’t want to pay.
“I’m not trying to give up that money,” Thompson said. “I just had a kid, so I’m just trying to save up for their college tuition.” You might have read about Thompson’s new addition to the family in your local supermarket tabloid.[/blockquote]
All jokes aside, the $100 fine certainly seemed to help Thompson hold his ground and prevent DeRozan from getting a good shot opportunity during the game’s most crucial possession. You can see it at the 2:54 mark in this clip:
Lue’s $100 fine is nothing new, by the way. Last season, J.R. Smith — who scored 20 points on Tuesday, becoming the only non-LeBron James Cavs player to reach that mark this post-season — had to pay up after game four of the 2017 second round matchup versus DeRozan and the Raptors.
“I knew it as soon as I did it,” Smith told Cleveland.com at the time.
DeRozan still managed to score 22 points on 50 per cent shooting in Game 1, along with seven boards, five assists, and three blocks — but he only attempted three free-throws, well-below his season average of seven per game this season.
The Raptors and Cavaliers tip-off at 6:00 p.m. ET Thursday night in what’s as close to a must-win for Toronto as it gets this early in a series.
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