NBA: 10 Early-Season Storylines To Keep An Eye On

May 26, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) reacts after being called for an offensive foul against the Golden State Warriors in the fourth quarter in game five of the Western conference finals of the NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Thunder 120-111. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports /

5 of 11

Nov 4, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan (10) drives for a basket past Miami Heat guard Goran Dragic (7) in the second half at Air Canada Centre. DeRozan scored 34 points in a 96-87 win for Toronto. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports /

4. DeMar DeRozan is an MVP candidate!

Another story which was hard to see coming. The Raptors stumbled through two and a half rounds of Playoff basketball last season, in large part due to DeMar DeRozan’s untimely struggles. DeRozan shot under 40 percent from the field for the entire postseason. Not a good look. And not a particularly reassuring indicator of what to expect from the All-Star going forward.

Yet, DeRozan has managed to bury these skeletons along with practically every shot he has put up this season. The Raptors guard leads the league at an astonishing 35.8 points per game with incredible efficiency. In fact, DeRozan has yet to have an outing of less than 30 points through five games.

Toronto as a team has essentially matched this level of success, winning out excluding a tightly-fought contest with the undefeated Cleveland Cavaliers (more on them later). History has shown that if you want to win the MVP, your team better be contending for the title.

Even if the Raptors can’t beat Cleveland, they’ve got a great chance of returning to the Eastern Conference Finals. If you’re making back-to-back trips to the Conference Finals, you’re a contender. Time will tell if DeRozan can sustain something close to his current form.

Home/NBA News