The National Basketball Association announced Thursday that Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan has been named Eastern Conference Player of the Month for January. DeRozan earns the honour for the third time in nine seasons with Toronto. He was named co-winner along with teammate Kyle Lowry in January 2016 and won for the first time in April 2015. DeRozan averaged a team-high 25.3 points (second in East), 5.9 assists and 3.7 rebounds in 15 games during the month of January and was the Raptors’ leading scorer seven times. He shot .447 (135-302) from the field, .333 (21-for-63) from three-point range and .846 (88-104) at the free throw line.
DeRozan began the month with a career-high 52 points on Jan. 1 in an overtime win over Milwaukee. It was the most points scored in a single game in Raptors franchise history, and the most points scored on New Year’s Day in NBA history. DeRozan was also voted a starter for the 2018 NBA All-Star game in Los Angeles. This marks the fourth time he has been selected as an All-Star (2014, 2016-18) and the second straight year he has been voted-in as a starter.
DeRozan, a native of Compton, California, is averaging 24.4 points (11th in the NBA) and a career-high 5.2 assists in 49 games played this season. He was selected ninth overall by Toronto in the 2009 NBA Draft and is the franchise’s all-time leader in career points (12,654), field goals made (4,491), free throws (3,383) made and games played (644).