San Antonio Spurs: We’re about to see DeMar DeRozan go scorched earth

One of the first rules of working in any kitchen is to not throw water on a grease fire, it’ll only spread the fire and make it burn stronger. By snubbing San Antonio Spurs star DeMar DeRozan from the 2021 All-Star Game for a second time, the NBA has done exactly that.

After being selected to replace Anthony Davis in the All-Star Game, Devin Booker is also going to have to step away as he deals with a left knee sprain. His absence opened up another spot in the contest. A spot that was given to the Utah Jazz’s Mike Conley.

I’m not here to rip on Conley. He should’ve made an All-Star game long before this and as a key player on one of the best teams in the NBA, it’s not too surprising that he was selected. But deserving or not, you can bet that DeMar DeRozan is going to use this as motivation.

DeMar DeRozan is about to lead the San Antonio Spurs on a rampage

If you thought DeMar wouldn’t be upset by the slight you were wrong. The San Antonio Spurs star said it best when he tweeted out a statement that many are taking as a not-so-subtle response to a second All-Star game snub.

Gets to a point where you just gotta laugh at the bullshit!!

— DeMar DeRozan (@DeMar_DeRozan) March 6, 2021

This is where things get interesting. Regardless of whether or not Conley deserved to make the team or not, it looks like DeRozan is taking this as another chip on the shoulder. That’s great news for the San Antonio Spurs and horrible news for the rest of the NBA.

DeMar was already playing at the highest level we’ve seen him at in his entire career. He’s not scoring quite as much as he did during his time in Toronto but he hasn’t needed to. He’s been able to take a step back, focus on getting his points as efficiently as possible, and work on becoming one of the best playmakers in the league today.

DeRozan is averaging a career-best 7.2 assists per game and has already dished out double-digit assists in seven games this season, including a flawless 11 assist, zero turnover performance against the Knicks just this week.

Frankly, I don’t think DeRozan is going to mind the extra time to put his feet up and be with his family. It’s been a long year for the San Antonio Spurs star and a little extra rest and relaxation could be just what he needs to prepare for what’s going to be a brutal second half of the season for the Spurs.

But don’t expect DeMar to forget this. As relaxing as this time off is going to be, I’m willing to bet that this snub is going to be there in the back of his mind. Like an itch you just can’t quite reach. The only way to scratch it might be going at everyone’s neck in the second half and proving to them just how wrong they were to exclude DeRozan from the All-Star Game. I couldn’t be more excited to see how this plays out.

The San Antonio Spurs already had all the motivation they needed. Between being ignored by the national media at large and hungry to start another playoff streak, this group didn’t need any more fuel on the fire. Now they get a pissed-off DeRozan too? Bold move Adam Silver, you must really want the Spurs back in the playoffs.