DeMar DeRozan is more than a familiar face in Toronto. He was their franchise player after Chris Bosh's departure to the Heat, in the summer of 2011. The veteran player had some words of wisdom to Raptors' rookie
Scottie Barnes regarding the process of becoming a star of an NBA team.
After trading Pascal Siakam to the Pacers, the
Toronto Raptors have confirmed their idea of building a team around their 4th pick of the 2021 draft, Scottie Barnes.
The rookie is now midway trhough his second year in the league and seems to have struck a bit of a plateu in his performance this season.
Last year he won the Rookie of the Year award, and had some great games. This campaign however, Barnes has found himself struggling with some inconsistency. The talent is right there and Scottie have showen flashes of it, but it's normal to have some slips on the way.
DeRozan knows this very well, as he went through a similar situation in Canada. The experienced guard had some words for the rookie and his path to stardom:
"Accept the good and the bad, the ups and the downs, the frustrations, and the struggles,” DeRozan advised Barnes. “It’s all going to shape you in the long run. When everything gets to rolling, you’re going to be a hell of a player, a hell of a talent.”
Being "The Guy" for a team, as appealing as it may sound, may also have its downside. The pressure and the challenges could be a lot to handle for a young player, but the experience gained could make the difference.
