DeRozan took exception to Pascal Siakam attempting a 3-point shot with 3 seconds left and the Raptors leading by 12 points when Siakam could’ve dribbled out the clock. DeRozan angrily chastised the Raptors bench and coach Darko Rajakovic, who told coach Billy Donovan that Siakam attempted the shot because point differential matters for In-Season Tournament ramifications.
The Raptors actually had been eliminated from In-Season Tournament advancement before the game, but apparently, word didn’t get to Rajakovic and Siakam.
“I don’t care about no In-Season Tournament points, none of that. Just respect for the game,” DeRozan said. “If the roles was flip-flopped and I had the ball, hold it. It is what it is.”
Hold up here. There are plenty of reasons to dislike popovich. First of all he is not a good coach; he has never done anything with a team that didn’t have multiple hall of famers. This is particularly true with the horrible job he did with team USA, leading a team comprised entirely of NBA caliber players against teams with at most two NBA players, yet finishing 7th. Then we have his condescending holier than thou attitude. So yeah, plenty to dislike.