Toronto Raptors all-star DeMar DeRozan has been working hard to become a stronger all-around player and a leader for his young team, but his reputation of being one of the most athletic players in the league remains strong. The 25-year-old proved that point early in the Raps’ third preseason game on Friday against the Boston Celtics. DeRozan has been upping his aggressiveness to get to the rim since last season, but with this play he added a dash of creativity to the mix.
First, DeRozan shook off two Boston Celtics defenders – Marcus Smart and Kelly Olynyk – to get into the paint. Next, he avoided the block attempt from Brandon Bass by tossing a sweet lob off the backboard to himself. Finally, he grabbed the self alley-oop and gently tipped the ball through the net to widen the eyes of the fans at the Air Canada Centre.
The sly grin from DeRozan after the clever play said it all. He single-handedly caught the Boston defense off guard and made a self alley-oop look way too easy. DeRozan finished with 18 points in 23 minutes in the Raps’ 116-109 win over the Celtics.
(Video via NBA)
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