OKC Thunder: 3 keys to winning series versus Spurs

OKC Thunder key number 2: DeRozan and those beautiful feet

The last time the teams played DeMar DeRozan wasn’t among the participants. He was spending time with his family grieving the loss of his father.

Like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander he was among the players snubbed by the coaches to be an All-Star. While SGA produced a compelling argument to make the team at the time the coaches were selecting the Spurs were seeded fifth.

DeeBo like counterparts Jimmy Butler and Kyle Lowry is the veteran voice on the Spurs. He’s also the player Pops relies on during the clutch moments to either take the shot or make a play to get a teammate a shot.

His stat line might not always be sexy but he gets the job done providing whatever the Spurs need. Take the Spurs’ last game for example.

DeRozan registered a double-double of 10 points and 11 assists plus four rebounds and four steals. Yet, the most impressive part of the line was those 11 assists came without a single turnover.

One thing to pay close attention to are his feet. Kevin Durant once cited him as having the best footwork in the NBA — he’s right.

It’s common knowledge DeRozan spends copious hours watching older-era game film and became almost obsessed with Kobe and MJ’s footwork and some of the big men like Olajuwon.

If you focus on him in the mid-range or in the paint his footwork is graceful — almost beautiful. It’s sort of like watching SGA and how he glides effortlessly down the court. Yeah — I know I’m a little obsessed with the minor details, but trust me and focus on those feet.

While the coming years will offer ample battles between Dejounte Murray and SGA, this evening, the player to keep your eye on is DeRozan.