Beyond The Press
Posts
🏀 DeMar DeRozan Felt Irrelevant

🏀 DeMar DeRozan Felt Irrelevant

Chris Lesiak
October 06, 2022

Victor Wembanyama dazzles in first U.S. appearance, DeMar DeRozan felt 'irrelevant' on the Spurs, and Mark Cuban is still in touch with Delonte West.

Finish the week off strong!

VICTOR WEMBANYAMA

Victor Wembanyama Dazzles in First U.S. Appearance

For years basketball scouts have been infatuated by French basketball prospect Victor Wembanyama, and in his U.S. debut, he showed everyone why. Victor Wembanyama is a 7-foot-5 center who terrorizes defenses and is a lethal shooter. Wembanyama scored 37 points on 11-20 shooting, including 7-11 from three, and had five blocks.

Wembanyama and the Metropolitans 92 team put up a valiant effort but were ultimately defeated by the G League Ignite and projected second overall pick, Scoot Henderson. Henderson had 28 points on an impressive 11 for 21 shooting.

The 2023 NBA Draft class is shaping up to be one for the record books, and plenty of basketball stars turned up to see these two young men battle it out. These included Devin Booker, Chris Paul, DeMarcus Cousins, and recent WNBA and FIBA World Cup champs Chelsea Gray and A'ja Wilson.

DEMAR DEROZAN

DeMar DeRozan Felt 'Irrelevant' on the Spurs

DeMar DeRozan was sensational in his first year as a Chicago Bull averaging 27.9 points per game and earning his way into the MVP discussion, and according to the man himself, it was sorely needed. While appearing on JJ Reddick’s podcast, The Old Man & The Three, DeRozan talked about the difficult adjustment of going from a consistent contender in the Toronto Raptors to playing for the San Antonio Spurs.

DeRozan said: “I felt like I was wiped off the map. … That took a toll, especially [after] every single year going to the conference finals, conference semifinals, competing, winning 50-plus games, to all the sudden, you don’t exist.”

He added: “Granted, I had great games. I developed in a lot of great ways as a basketball player, but in the same token, I just felt nonexistent for those years. It wasn’t like we was on TV, we wasn’t competing. There was so much to it that was a struggle. … I just felt like I was irrelevant.”

DeRozan is definitely right about his development, as he statistically improved as a rebounder and a facilitator while playing as a point forward under Gregg Popovich. DeRozan has bravely been open about his mental health struggles, and it’s understandable how this change in scenery could have exacerbated some of those issues. Thankfully, he’s back to playing meaningful basketball, and it just so happens to be in one of the best markets in the league.

MARK CUBAN

Mark Cuban is Still in Touch with Delonte West

It’s no secret that Delonte West, a former eight-year NBA vet, has had a tough go of things in his post-playing days. West’s mental illness and addiction issues got so bad that he wound up panhandling in the streets, leading to Mark Cuban getting involved.

In 2020, Cuban picked West up at a gas station and paid for a drug rehabilitation treatment and a hotel room to stay in, and for a while, it appeared that West had gotten his life back on track. By 2021, there were reports that he was working a job at the rehab facility and that he had reunited with his mother. Unfortunately, earlier this year, a video showed that West was back on the streets.

Mark Cuban was recently asked about West by TMZ and shared his thoughts on the situation. Cuban said: "It's a struggle for him. I mean, addiction is awful. And mental illness is awful. He's at the point in his life where he's got to want to be helped…You know, he's got to want to help himself first. I've tried. I know it's tough on him, but I wish him nothing but the best."

Clearly, West still has a friend in Cuban, who he played for in his last season in the NBA. Hopefully, West takes Cuban’s help and gets back on his feet! We are all rooting for him.