ATLANTA – Jalen Johnson tried to stay on the ground.
A lot of young NBA players do.
However, as soon as the second-year Hawks forward jumped into the air near DeMar DeRozan’s arm, the Bulls veteran knew it was over. Taking ice cream from a child, as the whistle blew and DeRozan was again headed to the free throw line in the third quarter on Sunday night.
But shame on Bogdan Bogdanovic.
“Boggy’’ - as his Atlanta teammates call him – played professionally overseas since 2012, and in the NBA since 2017. He should have known better.
There he was, however, just a half a second left in the overtime and holding onto a two-point lead as DeRozan got the ball. Bogdanovic tried to avoid it, but hit DeRozan on the arm, and committed the ultimate sin. He fouled DeRozan beyond the three-point line.
That’s the beauty in what DeRozan does. He doesn’t discriminate. Young player, five-year vet, old man at the YMCA … they’re all pawns for DeRozan. Yes, he’s taken the nickname “King in the Fourth’’ because of his late-game heroics, but he’s also the king in his on-going foul-drawing chess match.
The opposition? They just find themselves in checkmate.
“I’ve seen it so many times, for so many years, but yeah, it still surprises me that he’s getting guys like he does,’’ Bulls center Nikola Vucevic said of DeRozan’s art form. “It’s hard because you have to contest, but he’s so good at setting it up. When they jump on the pump fake, it’s like, ‘Why? He’s been doing this for years. Why are you still falling for it?’ The way he sets guys up, though, he’s so good at it. It’s just really hard to defend because you want to get the stop so bad, and he just takes you there.’’
That he does, not only taking you there, but leaving you stranded to plead your case with an official while he’s making his way to the free throw line.
As of Monday, a journey DeRozan has taken 211 times so far this season, with his free throw attempts tying him for fifth in the NBA. Last year, he finished third in that attempts category.
“[DeRozan’s] been doing it for such a long time, and he’s got a really unique ability to play in these tight spaces and recognize where he has advantages in tight spaces,’’ coach Billy Donovan said.
All true, but that only scratches the surface of his art form. Because make no mistake about it, it is art. And much like Sun Tzu’s “Art of War.’’
Not only does DeRozan understand spacing and his own ability, but he studies his enemies and their habits when guarding him. A lesson he learned from the Mamba Dojo, where Kobe Bryant – DeRozan’s idol – was his sensei.
“Each time, every defender, each guy,’’ DeRozan said, when asked about even studying opposing players in-game from possession to possession. “It’s easier to get young guys because if you ever watch when I play young guys I go right to it. Every person that guards me, whether they’re long, aggressive, quick, whatever, I put all that into consideration when I’m playing against guys.’’
That means not only is DeRozan watching film, but putting together an in-game mental index of defenders and how to get them to bite.
And at some point, maybe even with everything on the line, eventually someone just might. Bogdanovic found that out.
“Spots [on the floor], knowing the clock, knowing your angles, knowing ways to get your shot off, gauging how a defender is going to guard you … it’s so much that goes into it,’’ DeRozan said. “I wish it was just one thing, but it’s countless things I use to draw fouls. It comes with an IQ of doing it so long.’’
With no letting up in sight.
