Will DeMar DeRozan start shooting threes this season?

Can the All-Star finally take his game to the next level and become a more complete player by adding this crucial element to his repertoire?

The NBA is a cutthroat league where players must constantly adapt or risk being left behind. DeMar DeRozan has been one of the league's top scorers for several years, but he has not adopted the modern trend of shooting threes. Will this be the season that DeRozan finally unleashes his long-range potential?

Plans to shoot more threes

The former USC Trojan said in April that he planned to extend his range beyond the three-point arc. He shot an average of 1.9 threes per game in his two seasons in Chicago, making just 33.8 percent. Although DeRozan remains a master of the midrange game, he recognizes the value of extending his career by expanding his game.

That said, Bleacher Nation’s Bulls analyst Elias Schuster believes it’ll be hard for a leopard to change its spots.

"He shoots more mid-range jumpers than anyone in the NBA, and I don’t expect that to change drastically this season. Until his efficiency from that area of the floor drops off in a big way, the Chicago Bulls would be silly to make him stop. I understand that the mid-range is largely seen today as a ‘bad shot,’ but DeRozan is the exception to the rule," Schuster stated.

Trying his hand at it

DeRozan has been seen in practice sessions shooting more three-pointers; however, it remains to be seen if he can make this a part of his game permanently. Deebo's best three-point shooting season was in 2017-2018 when he attempted 3.6 triples per game in his final season in Toronto. He ended up making 31 percent of them.

DeRozan said in an interview with NBC Sports Chicago that he understands the importance of the three-ball in today’s game, and if it makes the Bulls better, he’s all for it. We shall see once the season starts if Deebo has expanded his range. 

"You got to break it down just to understand what more I can do to help us team-wise and incorporate that. I think I’d be a fool not to look at and consider that aspect of it. So just me being a student of the game and understanding that is going to be called on and called for us to be better, I am all for it," DeRozan said.