DeMar DeRozan Comments on Free Agency, Playing the Heat, Dwyane Wade, More

The Toronto Raptors are two wins away from the Eastern Conference Finals despite the utter failure of their stars. Kyle Lowry (Game 3 vs. Miami) and DeMar DeRozan (Game 5 vs. Indiana) each have exactly one good game to their name this postseason.

Yet despite the mounting criticism and heightened pressure, DeRozan remains unfazed as the Raptors return home for a critical Game 5 against the Heat.

“You can’t let frustration get to you, at all. Can’t listen to what the outsiders got to say. You just can’t get caught up in that. You’ve got to stay positive,” DeRozan said, per Michael Lee of The Vertical. “It’s 2-2. We’ve got a great opportunity to go home and do what we can do.”

DeRozan, 26, is shooting 35 percent for the series and hasn’t made a single three-pointer. His points per game have dipped by six from his regular-season average (23.5 to 17.5), and he’s become a bricky shooter at the free-throw line after knocking down 85 percent during an All-Star campaign. 

Part of that is a bothersome thumb injury that’s had DeRozan playing through pain for most of the playoffs. As Lee notes, the USC product is having difficulty completing simple tasks like tying his shoe.

“I’ve never been one of those guys to be like, ‘Why? Why did this happen, or why’d it happen now?’ It’s part …

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