People in San Antonio have known this for decades now, but not many within the national media pay attention to the San Antonio Spurs.
After unlocking his passing and facilitating game under Gregg Popovich, DeMar DeRozan has reached new heights and is having the best season of his career with the Chicago Bulls. He recently had the ridiculous feat of burying two buzzer-beating game-winners in two days, becoming the first player ever to do so in the NBA.
Through 32 games, DeRozan is averaging 26.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game on 49.4% shooting from the field. He's also second in the NBA in total clutch time points at 72, something he also excelled at with the Spurs last season as well.
While DeMar's scoring has gone up five points per game, his rebounding and assist numbers are hovering around the same area as what he did for three seasons in San Antonio. Still, many within NBA circles are seeing the 32-year-old's season as some kind of grand improvement from someone who had been struggling.
Former NBA veteran Brian Scalabrine took his lack of DeRozan knowledge to new heights recently when he claimed he should be getting "some serious consideration for Most Improved." Yes, the DeRozan who averaged 21.6 points, 6.2 assists, and 5.3 rebounds per game in San Antonio. That DeRozan.
San Antonio Spurs Fans Do What They Do Best
Naturally, Spurs fans had to call out the ridiculous comment Scalabrine made on SiriusXM NBA Radio.
The entire tweet showing Scalabrine's comment is full of replies mocking the opinion, many coming from NBA fans that aren't necessarily followers of the Spurs.
"It's not even like he made some massive jump. National media people just don't pay attention to the Spurs and it's obvious," said @Sixers_Matt. "What? DeMar was always a great player but now he plays for a team that's in a big market," said @baldjimmybutler.
The consensus among more educated NBA analysts is DeRozan is one of the frontrunners for the NBA Most Valuable Player Award, something far more prestigious than Most Improved Player. DeMar has helped the Bulls establish a 25-10 record through 35 games after they finished 31-41 last season.
If you go on national radio without doing your research, expect to get dunked on, Brian -- especially when Spurs fans are involved.