DeMar DeRozan has had an incredible start to the season for the Raptors. He’s posting career highs in points per game (33.7, currently leading the league as well), field goal percentage (52.4%), free throw attempts per game (9.2), and rebounds per game (4.8). He’s posting an incredible .261 WS/48 to lead the team and has a 31 PER. These are superstar numbers. But how much of it is real? And how much is just DeRozan catching fire with his jump shot to start the year?
Heavy Usage
To start, DeRozan is currently carrying a usage rate (the number of the team’s possessions while he is on the court that he finishes by shooting, drawing a shooting foul, or turning the ball over) of 37%.