TORONTO - Three weeks ago DeMar DeRozan was happily taking advantage of a flawed partnership with Rudy Gay. Gedion Zelalem Jersey . The Raptors two leading scorers were never able to co-exist the way they hoped or the team had envisioned, but individually DeRozan was thriving, in the midst of a career season. During his brief tenure, Gays presence meant far more to his team, to DeRozan, than his sub-par production. Despite his poor shot selection and declining percentages, the former Raptors forward consistently topped the oppositions scouting report, drawing the attention of their best defender(s) and making the game a whole lot easier for his emerging sidekick. No longer Robin to Gays Batman, DeRozan has assumed the lead role and is embracing the added responsibility that comes with it. "Lately Ive been trying to do a lot of different things," DeRozan told TSN.ca last week. "Getting my teammates involved, trying to rebound, trying to get steals, do a lot of other things that keep me going that probably before I didnt used to do." "I let my shot [dictate] my game, but now I just trust my teammates. I just try to go out there and do other stuff because I know I can be a decoy with how much of the defence I draw." For all his ability and the consequential attention it would attract, Gay was never willing to be a decoy in Toronto, at least not consistently. He was too prideful, a result of the self-imposed expectations that come with a max salary in the NBA. The moment had to be his, which to him meant the shot had to be his. Opposing defences feasted on that predictability and more often than not DeRozan became the forgotten man. A career 26 per cent three-point shooter, DeRozan was firing the long-ball at a 37 per cent clip in 18 games before Gay was dealt to Sacramento earlier in the month. In his fifth season, DeRozan was averaging career-highs across the board but his growth and maturity has become most evident in the aftermath of the trade. Despite the added responsibility in 10 games since the trade, his shot attempts have not increased (17.9 per game, up from 17.7) and his scoring average has dipped just slightly (20.5 points per game from 21.4). Instead, his assists (4.5 per contest, from 2.7) and rebounding numbers (4.7, from 2.7) have gone up. The ball is moving more than it has in a long time, the team is playing together, winning together and DeRozans fingerprints are all over it. The Raptors are 9-2 when DeRozan registers four or more assists this season. "I understand a lot of teams, mostly all the teams are going to key [in on] me so I use that to my advantage and just try to get my teammates going," he said after matching a career-high with nine assists in the overtime win against Dallas on December 20th. Hes not cowering from the defensive pressure hes facing, hes also not trying to do too much. "[Teams are] showing him a lot of respect, trying to get the ball out of his hands," Dwane Casey said of the 24-year-old guard. "Hes done an excellent job of passing out of it. His scoring average will probably go down a little bit but its going to help someone else." So far, sophomore Terrence Ross has been the primary beneficiary. The Raptors second-year guard, whose playing time has increased by over 10 minutes per game since the trade, is excelling in the starting lineup alongside DeRozan on the wing. Although DeRozans three-point percentage has plummeted without Gay in the lineup - shooting 19 per cent from long distance over the last 10 games - Ross has seen his go from 34 per cent pre-trade to 48 per cent since, setting a new career-high with seven-made triples (on 11 attempts) in Saturdays win over the Knicks. "I think its helped T-Ross," Casey said, "because [teams are] double teaming [DeRozan] and leaving him open." "Im just taking what the defence gives me," added Ross, who is averaging 14.4 points in nine contests as a starter. "DeMar [has been] consistent all year, he can go out and score in different ways and it kind of opens up things for me, Kyle (Lowry), Jonas (Valanciunas) and everybody else." His shots have been reminiscent of those DeRozan got, and made consistently earlier in the campaign, many of them coming from the corner. The corner three is the most efficient shot in basketball and the 21-year-old is perfecting it. Ross ranks 11th in the NBA, knocking down 24 corner threes this season while shooting them at a 49 per cent clip. He leads the association with 16 corner threes made since December 8th, when the Gay trade was consummated, shooting a remarkable 55 per cent from that region. Ross is developing a niche, one that could see him become increasingly valuable to the Raptors attack and its all predicated on the leadership of the teams best player. "Hes just playing with confidence," DeRozan said of Ross, his protégé. "I tell him, dont go out there second guessing yourself. You have the ability to do anything on that court, you jump higher than everybody on that court, youre a great shooter, you could do so much just use it and dont worry about messing up so much. Thats what hes doing." "I know I can score, I can get up shots when I need to but I look at it like, let me use myself to get Terrence an open shot or use myself to free up Kyle or create a shot for somebody else," he continued. "Thats what its all about because I know I draw so much attention, I just use that to my benefit." Theo Walcott Arsenal Jersey . Johns IceCaps gave up too many open-ice chances and the Texas Stars capitalized during a 6-3 victory in Game 1 of the Calder Cup final. Ryo Miyaichi Jersey . Marco Iannuzzi, a wide receiver for the B.C. Lions, took to Twitter to vent his frustrations with the latest negotiations. Iannuzzi said, through a series of Tweets, that after speaking to confidants within the MLB Players Association and NFL Players Association, he feels the players "have been taken advantage of" during negotiations.ARLINGTON, Texas -- Michael Young slipped on a No. 10 Texas Rangers jersey for one last time. Young formally announced his retirement Friday after returning to Rangers Ballpark, his baseball home for all but the last of his 13 major league seasons. He called his time in Texas the best years of his life. "I came kind of confident, and stubborn, with a lot to learn," Young said. "In a lot of ways was still immature, trying to figure out who I was, and what I wanted to do and what I wanted to be about, and I figured it all out here." A seven-time All-Star, Young is the Rangers career leader with 2,230 hits. The 37-year-old infielder finished as a career .300 hitter in 1,970 games for Texas, Philadelphia and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Texas acquired Young from Toronto in July 2000, along with reliever Darwin Cubillian, for pitcher Esteban Loaiza. Young made his major league debut playing twice the final weekend of that season. Young became a regular in the Rangers lineup after being called up in late May the next season. Texas went from being a last-place team to consecutive World Series in 2010 and 2011. He was traded last winter to Philadelphia, then to the Dodgers at the end of August before the playoffs. Young has three young sons, ages 17 months to 8 years old, who were all born in Dallas, where he and his wife still live. Playing away from home for the first time last season was difficult for Young, even though he loved his time with the Phillies and hometown Dodgers. "My boys are the driving reason why my playing days are done," Young said. "Youve got to be there with them, you have to be there for every success, every failure. If something doesnt go right, I want them to see me first." Had Young wanted to keep playing, he said the Dodgers made him a tempting offer that would have provided significant playing time. Young definitely wants too get back in baseball at some capacity in the future, but isnt in a rush to do so. Laurent Koscielny Arsenal Jersey. Rangers general manager Jon Daniels, who got emotional at one point during his opening remarks, said the team certainly wants to have Young involved in some way. "The game of baseball is going to miss you, and I certainly hope you dont stay away from the game," said Texas manager Ron Washington, describing Young as the ultimate teammate. "I dont think this game will be able to survive without a Michael Young in it." Among the handouts Friday was a listing of all 2,375 of Youngs career hits -- it was almost all of 11 triple-columned pages. The first was a single at Baltimore on May 27, 2001, and the last was a double in a home game for the Dodgers against Colorado last Sept. 29. Originally a second baseman for Texas, Young voluntarily moved to shortstop after Alex Rodriguez was traded before spring training in 2004. Young was an All-Star each of his five seasons at shortstop and won a Gold Glove in 2008. Young switched to third base in 2009 and earned an All-Star nod at that position. He made that move when the Rangers promoted Elvis Andrus, then 20 years old and without ever playing above the Double-A level, to the big leagues. When third baseman Adrian Beltre signed with Texas before the 2011 season, Young became a utility player. He started at five different positions, made another All-Star game, led the AL with 213 hits and was part of the team that twice in Game 6 came within a strike of winning the World Series against St. Louis. "What sticks in my head most is the 2011, what I felt was a championship team that doesnt have a championship," he said. "It still eats at me -- a lot, actually. Im over it, but Im not. I dont want to spend too much time thinking about it. When I do, I still get a sick feeling in my stomach." cheap nfl jerseyscheap soccer jerseys ' ' '
