'When Keeping It Real Goes Wrong' Featuring DeMar DeRozan

DeRozan: "If we had LeBron on our team, too, we woulda won."

(He's right, but I'm not sure that's how this works)

— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) May 7, 2017

How many points are we awarding for candor here? I know it's not enough to make up the series-long differential between the Cavaliers and the Raptors, but I still think honesty should net you something. That "something" probably isn't so much as a modicum of respect when you are a star player that just finished the first year of a 5 year, $139 million dollar contact and are publicly conceding a series that quickly turned into a clinic as if you never stood a chance in the first place. I don't know, maybe we can gift DeMar DeRozan a hug or a shoulder to cry on? After all, the truth hurts, and I can't imagine there's a more painful realization than a professional basketball player coming to terms with his inability to lead his team to even one single victory against a specific member of the opposition.

To be 100% right and also so incredibly wrong is a familiar feeling that I don't envy, but - given these circumstances - it's also not one I can sympathize with. I'm a big fan of full disclosure, but "if the guy that we can't seem to stop was on our team then we would beat the other team that relies heavily on his efforts" is a tad too obvious as far as declarative retorts are concerned. If there was even one single person on the planet that wasn't keenly aware of his self disparaging words then I might be able rationalize DeMar DeRozan's unintentional indictment of his own team. Alas, you don't exactly have to be Gregg Popovich to know that it's better to have LeBron James than not have LeBron James. Semantically, I guess this quote would have to be considered an example of "keeping it real", but it's an example that Dave Chappelle would have instantly cut from his script due to a lack of irony and a wealth of self pity. Just when you thought the Toronto Raptors season couldn't have ended in more depressing fashion their All Star shooting guard hits the podium to tell their rabid fanbase that it was basically all-but-over the first time they looked across the court and saw LeBron James. Historically speaking, he's definitely not incorrect but I'd love to see him try to explain how correct he is to the person paying his salary.