DeRozan joins elite company with over 300 points in first 9 games
Michael Jordan, Rick Barry, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, World B. Free, Tiny Archibald ... and DeMar DeRozan.
The Toronto Raptors' - or, on this night, the Toronto Huskies' - All-Star shooting guard has been tearing through opposing squads on offense to open the 2016-17 regular season. In Saturday's 118-107 victory over the visiting New York Knicks, DeRozan placed himself among an esteemed group of legends when he exceeded the 300-point mark through his first nine games of the season with a 33-point performance.
300+ Points in First 9 Games
| Rank | Player | Season | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Jordan | 1986-87 | 347 |
| 2 | Michael Jordan | 1988-89 | 337 |
| 3 | Rick Barry | 1966-67 | 335 |
| 4 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | 1970-71 | 317 |
| 5 | Michael Jordan | 1989-90 | 313 |
| 6 | Michael Jordan | 1987-88 | 307 |
| 7 | DeMar DeRozan | 2016-17 | 306 |
| 8 | World B. Free | 1979-80 | 306 |
| 9 | Tiny Archibald | 1972-73 | 306 |
| 10 | Rick Barry | 1974-75 | 302 |
(Courtesy: Raptors broadcast)
After competing on the road Friday against the Charlotte Hornets, the scapegoat of a back-to-back was available if the 27-year-old struggled to shoot the rock against New York. Rather than allow fatigue to settle in, though, DeRozan once again carried Toronto's offense by dropping over 30 points for the eighth time in nine outings.
The last player to accomplish that feat was Michael Jordan in 1986-87.
DeMar DeRozan (First 9 Games)
| Date | Opponent | Points | FGM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26/10/16 | Pistons | 40 | 17-of-27 | 0-of-2 | 6-of-6 |
| 28/10/16 | Cavaliers | 32 | 12-of-28 | 0-of-1 | 8-of-8 |
| 31/10/16 | Nuggets | 33 | 13-of-23 | 0-of-1 | 7-of-9 |
| 02/11/16 | Wizards | 40 | 14-of-23 | 1-of-2 | 11-of-16 |
| 04/11/16 | Heat | 34 | 14-of-26 | 0-of-2 | 6-of-6 |
| 06/11/16 | Kings | 23 | 7-of-20 | 1-of-2 | 8-of-10 |
| 09/11/16 | Thunder | 37 | 13-of-22 | 0-of-2 | 11-of-15 |
| 11/11/16 | Hornets | 34 | 14-of-26 | 0-of-1 | 6-of-7 |
| 11/12/16 | Knicks | 33 | 11-of-23 | 1-of-1 | 10-of-13 |
(Courtesy: Basketball-Reference.com)
While it's easy to heap praise onto DeRozan, he alone did not fend off a game Knicks squad at the Air Canada Centre - five other Raptors scored in double figures. Norman Powell dropped 19 points in the starting lineup in a resting DeMarre Carroll's stead, while Terrence Ross and Patrick Patterson had 11 and 10 off the bench, respectively.
It's unreasonable to think DeRozan can maintain this torrid pace for the entirety of the season, but for now, his sensational run has The 6 buzzing in anticipation to see just how long he can keep it going.
With the next two games a back-to-back against the Golden State Warriors and reigning NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers, Raptors fans can only hope DeRozan has at least two more outbursts left in the tank.