DeMar DeRozan is one of the greatest players in Toronto Raptors history but one of his big regrets would be not winning a title with the franchise.
The Raptors would win their only title in 2019 after they traded DeRozan in a package for Kawhi Leonard in 2018. Stephen A. Smith thinks DeRozan could have led them to that title if he wasn’t traded and DeMar agrees with that notion.
“Most definitely,” Demar said. “It sucks that we couldn’t see what could have happened with me still being there. That just changes the whole dynamic and everything but I definitely felt that way. I congratulated all those guys for winning that championship, every guy that I played with, everybody that was there, especially that city, they deserved it. We would have done the same thing.”
DeMar thinks he would've gotten a ring if he stayed in Toronto 👀 pic.twitter.com/J7D25CYKXd
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) May 6, 2023
LeBron James not being in the picture certainly would have made matters easier for DeRozan, as he and the Cleveland Cavaliers had eliminated the Raptors from the playoffs every year from 2016 to 2018. It was getting swept by the Cavaliers in back-to-back years that led to them deciding it was time for change and DeRozan unfortunately had to pack his bags.
Could The Raptors Have Won It All With DeMar DeRozan?
While it is understandable that DeMar is confident he could have done what Leonard did, the numbers would say otherwise. DeRozan never had a playoff run where he even averaged 25.0 PPG and the Raptors would have needed a lot more out of him to get past the Philadelphia 76ers and the Milwaukee Bucks.
Leonard averaged 30.5 PPG in that playoff run and he was especially brilliant against the Sixers, averaging 34.7 PPG, 9.9 RPG, 4.0 APG, and 1.3 SPG while shooting 53.0% from the field in a brutal seven-game series. He famously hit the game-winner in Game 7 as well and it is doubtful DeMar would have been able to replicate those heroics. Even though Leonard left after winning the title, there is no doubt the Raptors would make that trade again if given the chance.
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