One of the most underappreciated players in the entire NBA over the last decade or so and someone everyone always seems to forget about is four-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan. This season, DeRozan has certainly caught the attention of many and he is one of the main reasons why the Bulls have been able to find so much success.
For the first nine years of his career, the 6’6” wing made a name for himself with the Toronto Raptors, but never really was given recognition until he helped lead the Raptors to their first playoff berth since 2008 during the 2013-14 season.
The dynamic duo of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan was the heart and soul of the Toronto Raptors for years, but then the organization decided to make a heartbreaking decision by trading DeRozan to the San Antonio Spurs for Kawhi Leonard. This was a move that had to be made in order to win a title, but Toronto and their entire fanbase were extremely sad to see the All-Star leave because of his leadership and how much he meant to the city of Toronto.
DeRozan spent the last three seasons with the Spurs, putting up All-Star-like numbers and being their leader, but he did not make the All-Star Game once in San Antonio and was overlooked by other stars in the Western Conference.
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Mainly keeping to himself and never complaining about his role, DeMar DeRozan continued to shine and ultimately decided to make a big move by joining the Chicago Bulls this past offseason to team up with All-Stars Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic.
Many questioned this acquisition by the Bulls given that DeRozan has never been an elite-level defender and his fit next to Zach LaVine on the wing, but this may have turned out to be the best move any of the 30 teams in the league made this past offseason.
DeMar DeRozan has missed some games this season due to health and safety protocols, but he has been instrumental in the Chicago Bulls success. The Bulls are 21-10 on the season after beating the Atlanta Hawks 130-118 on Monday night and they currently sit second in the Eastern Conference standings, just 1.5 games back from the Brooklyn Nets.
In this game against the Hawks, DeRozan went for 35 points, his ninth 30-point game this season, and along with Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic, the three Bulls’ All-Stars combined for 89 total points.
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“We’re the veteran leaders of this team,” the All-Star wing said after the game in regards to him, LaVine and Vucevic. “That’s our job. We’ve got a couple of key guys out, and it was up to us to step up and play big, especially against an Atlanta Hawks team that was going to come out and play hard. The three main guys did what they were supposed to do and everybody else fell in line.”
This has seemed to be the center of everything for the Chicago Bulls this season, as their “Big 3” has combined for over 56% of their team’s total points this season. On the season, DeMar DeRozan is now averaging 27.0 points (6th in the league), 5.1 rebounds, 4.4 assists and is shooting 50.6% from the floor (3rd best min. 500 attempts) and a career-best 36.5% from three-point range.
Along with Zach LaVine (26.4 PPG), the Bulls dynamic All-Star duo leads the NBA as the best scoring duo and they have shown no signs of slowing down anytime soon. All around, this Bulls team has a tremendous amount of two-way talents and impactful players, but DeMar DeRozan really has been the catalyst for everything.
He leads the team in scoring and always seems to have his fingerprints on everything good that happens over the course of a game. It is not surprising to see DeRozan shining in Chicago with this team and most importantly, it is not a surprise to see the Bulls’ fans giving him the credit he deserves every time he goes to the free-throw line in United Center.
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Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic are the guys being put in the spotlight as the front-runners for MVP this season, but it is time that we start considering DeMar DeRozan amongst this group as well.
Likely to make his 5th All-Star game this season, DeRozan ranks amongst the league’s best in Player Efficiency Rating and no matter who he plays, he is finding success rather easily on the offensive-end of the floor.
DeRozan has not scored less than 17 points in a game this season, which some players would kill to score in a game, he ranks tied for third in 20-point games this season and ranks tied for fifth in 30-point games this season.
Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic are both tremendous talents and could easily be the ones the Bulls turn to late in games for production, but DeMar DeRozan is the security blanket for this team and has been the leader that closes out games for them all season long.
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“It’s an honour to be trusted in those moments,” DeRozan said following the Bulls recent 115-110 over the Lakers in Chicago. “I never take it for granted. It’s an adrenaline rush that you can’t duplicate, so you try to make the most of it every time you’re put in that position. There’s nothing like it. You’ve got to take the good with the bad, and I’m willing to take both.”
This Bulls team could not be what they are without everyone playing their role on this roster, but DeMar DeRozan really has been the “glue” to this team all year long. He keeps everything afloat and when they need a basket, he is always delivering for them.
As a result of his play, Chicago is in a prime position to lock-up a playoff spot for the first-time since the 2016-17 season and this may very well be DeRozan’s best season ever.
The 32-year-old forward is averaging at least 27.0 points per game for the first-time since he averaged 27.3 points during the 2016-17 season and he is invaluable to this team on the offensive-end of the floor.
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We are at the point where we expect a DeRozan mid-range jump-shot to go in and as he continues to get better playing alongside LaVine and Vucevic, there is no reason why DeMar DeRozan should be left out of the All-NBA and MVP consideration this season.
