There is no denying the offensive skill set that DeMar DeRozan possesses. He’s as good as an NBA player can get on offense without being able to shoot the three consistently. But to become a complete player and for the Raptors to make a jump in the East, DeMar will have to make improvements on the other side of the ball.
It’s sometimes hard to quantify good defensive ability, though it’s become easier in recent years with more developed advanced stats. The most popular stat is defensive rating, which is the measure of how many points a player allows per 100 possessions.