DeRozan upbeat on Blatche

MANILA, Philippines - Toronto Raptors star Demar DeRozan said the other day the global practice of naturalizing players for international competitions is a positive development for basketball and described Andray Blatche as a “great player” who will be a problem for Gilas’ opponents when he suits up for the Philippines at the FIBA World Cup in Spain on Aug. 30 to Sept. 14.

“Personally, I think (naturalization) is a cool thing,” said DeRozan in a roundtable overseas conference call arranged by NBA Asia. “It just makes everything that much more competitive, honestly. Everybody in America and from the US can’t play a lot on the Olympic team like some other country so I think it brings the competitive and entertainment value that much higher once the games come around.”

As for Blatche, who was recently naturalized as a Filipino by legislation, DeRozan said “he definitely can score the basket once he gets going.” Blatche was issued a Philippine passport the other day and is expected to fly in to participate with Gilas in the charity event featuring All-Stars like DeRozan, Brooklyn Nets teammate Paul Pierce, Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard and Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on July 22-23.

DeRozan, 24, will arrive here next week for the NBA 3x hoop festival on July 4-6 at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall and the Philippine International Convention Center.  He will be back for the charity event sponsored by PLDT HOME.

Today is the deadline for registration to participate in seven divisions in the fourth edition of the NBA 3x contest. In the inaugural, former Chicago Bulls forward Horace Grant came as 98 teams battled in the 10-minute, halfcourt, score-to-21 game with a 12-second shot clock. The second edition featured 128 teams with Nets center Brook Lopez as guest. Last year, there were 192 teams with James Harden and Eric Gordon as guests.

DeRozan will be joined by four-year NBA veteran Wesley Johnson, the Toronto Raptors Dance Pak and the Sacramento Kings mascot Slamson the Lion in Manila next week. The NBA 3x competition has four male divisions for U13 (10-12 years old), U16 (13-15), U18 (16-17) and Open (18-and-over) and three female divisions for U16 (13-15), U18 (16-17) and Open (18-and-over). Organizers will also invite special guests to participate in a VIP division. Aside from the games, the NBA extravaganza will feature a skills challenge, a slam dunk contest, a three-point shootout, a clinic, autograph sessions, live performances and photo opportunities.

DeRozan enjoyed a breakout this past season as he led Toronto to the playoffs for the first time since 2007-08. The Raptors finished third in the Eastern Conference behind Indiana and Miami with a 48-34 record. DeRozan averaged career highs of 22.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.1 steals and 38.2 minutes. In the first round of the playoffs, he outdid himself by averaging 23.9 points and 40.3 minutes with Toronto losing Game 7 to Brooklyn before a banner homecrowd of 20,457 fans. Blatche and Pierce were on the Nets squad that DeRozan faced.

DeRozan said the Toronto fans were a huge inspiration. “I can’t explain in words how great our fans are, night in and night out, they’re still behind us,” he said. “They always cheer for us. Once the playoffs came around, we had thousands of fans outside the arena. It definitely showed we’ve got one of the best fans in the NBA by far.”

DeRozan paid tribute to Toronto assistant coaches Bill Bayno and Jama Mahlalela for their contributions in taking the Raptors to the next level. Bayno coached Talk ‘N’ Text in the PBA in 2001-02 while Mahlalela was a frequent Manila visitor as director of basketball operations of NBA Asia.

“Jama was there when I first got drafted (2009),” said DeRozan who played a year at the University of Southern California before he was picked on the first round by Toronto in the NBA draft. “He’s a great person on and off the court. Same for Billy Bayno, they both bring positive energy every time we go to work. You know, you can’t ask for something better than that. Honestly, because they work hard and at the same time, they come with a positive attitude of which we feed off.”

DeRozan said the hunger to win was what drove him to his breakout season. “Going through different obstacles in my career that will push me to work that much harder to do the extra work that I need to be able to carry my team in late-game situations and pull out wins,” he said. “It’s all the little things. I credit this season to my four previous seasons (which) weren’t nice, not good, but it drove me to be great. There’s a lot of learning curves. It’s tough especially being a young player coming into the NBA. You travel, you’re away from your family, you’re away from your comfort zone for the first time, you know you really don’t have nobody to baby you like when you’re a kid. It becomes a job. Long nights, long days, that’s something you’ve got to get used to, it’s hard.”

DeRozan set several personal records this past campaign. He shot a career-high 40 points against Dallas last January and hit back-to-back 30 points in Games 2 and 3 in the Brooklyn playoff series. DeRozan said he can’t wait to fly in. “I’m excited,” he said. “I’m looking to have a lot of fun with the fans and learn the culture of the Philippines at the same time.”