When you hear the name “Chicago Bulls”, what do you think of? The most obvious answer is Michael Jordan and the six NBA titles he helped bring to the city of Chicago.
Since “The Last Dance” season though during the 1997-98 season, the Bulls really have not found much success as a franchise. They had some good runs with Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler in the early 2010s, but overall, the Bulls have been rebuilding since 1998, looking for the pieces to once again make a championship run.
Well, it definitely seems like executive Artūras Karnišovas has the right pieces in-place right now, as the Bulls currently find themselves 36-21 on the season, just one game back from the Miami Heat for the top spot in the Eastern Conference.
All season long, the Bulls have been at the top of the Eastern Conference standings and this is because they have one of the best scoring trios in the league in Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic and DeMar DeRozan.
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Zach LaVine has been with the Bulls since the 2017-18 season and while he himself has always been an All-Star-level talent, he has not been able to carry Chicago on his own. So, the Bulls went out and acquired All-Star center Nikola Vucevic at the trade deadline last season.
After seeing how successful LaVine and Vucevic were together, the Bulls’ front-office saw an opportunity to capitalize on their chances in the Eastern Conference by going out and being aggressive in free agency this past offseason.
Not only did Chicago bring in some key two-way talents in their backcourt with Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso, but they also brought in All-Star forward DeMar DeRozan. This signing drew some surprising criticism, mainly from those who do not watch the game of basketball, stating that DeRozan was a “poor fit” and “aging past his prime”, but this is far from the truth in regards to DeMar DeRozan.
Anyone who has watched him play over the course of his career knows that he is a high-level player and it really was surprising to see some call DeRozan going to the Bulls the “worst signing of the offseason”, especially since this was probably said just to meet a deadline!
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DeMar DeRozan has arguably been the best signing from this past offseason and it is not hard to believe that he is right in the thick of things regarding the NBA’s MVP conversation.
Not only has DeRozan been the leader of the Chicago Bulls this season, but he is averaging a career-high 27.7 points per game, he leads the Bulls in assists per game (5.1) and he has scored the most points out of any player in the league this season with 1,469 total points.
Since February 1, DeMar DeRozan ranks second in the league in points per game (35.0) and has helped the Bulls win five of their last eight games. DeRozan also recently recorded 38 points against the Oklahoma City Thunder on February 12, marking his fifth straight game with at least 35 points, joining Bulls’ legend Michael Jordan as the only other player in franchise history to achieve such a feat.
“It’s just an honor to be in the same [spot] — any type of record book — with one of the greatest of all time,” DeRozan stated after the Bulls’ win on Saturday over OKC. “Especially playing for this organization. It’s an honor. It probably [hasn’t] hit me right now. I don’t know what roll I’m on. Just being myself.”
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Just “being himself” has not only elevated DeMar DeRozan to new heights in his career at 32-years-old, but has the Bulls in a prime spot to be a real, legitimate championship contender this season.
Bulls head coach Billy Donovan has been in awe watching his All-Star take the court every night too, stating that it is “amazing” to watch DeRozan on the floor every night and that he is an “incredibly unique player” that is “as good of a scorer” as he has been around.
There are some concerns for the Bulls right now though, as All-Star guard Zach LaVine has been dealing with a suspicious left knee injury.
LaVine first started dealing with some discomfort in his knee in January, as he was forced to leave just four minutes into a game against the Warriors due to his ailing knee, but further imaging on his knee showed no structural damage.
LATEST NBA NEWS: Should Zach LaVine’s Knee Injury Concern Chicago Bulls?
This is good news for Chicago and they let out a big sigh of relief after the results of LaVine’s MRI, but ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported recently that Zach LaVine is traveling to Los Angeles to get further evaluation on his left knee and that “there’s certainly a level of concern within the organization.”
Zach LaVine is not expected to be sidelined indefinitely right now, as the All-Star is prepared to play through his left knee discomfort, but LaVine is not the only player currently dealing with injury concerns in Chicago.
Patrick Williams has been out since October with a wrist injury that required surgery, Lonzo Ball had a left knee procedure done to repair a small meniscus tear and Alex Caruso is currently out with a fractured right wrist.
Those are three key rotational players out for the Bulls right now and more importantly, three of their best defenders on their roster.
LATEST NBA NEWS: Should Zach LaVine’s Knee Injury Concern Chicago Bulls?
A lot of weight has been put on the back of DeMar DeRozan to carry the Bulls right now given all of their injury concerns, but he is more than capable of keeping this team at the top of the standings.
Obviously having All-Star center Nikola Vucevic playing at a high-level in LaVine’s absence helps the Bulls chances to sustain success, but DeRozan displayed his ability to lead a franchise when he was with the championship contending Toronto Raptors a handful of years back.
DeMar DeRozan has once again solidified himself as one of the top talents in the entire NBA and while the Bulls do have injury concerns dwelling over their heads right now, they are going to be just fine with DeRozan leading the charge.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic are the three big names everyone is talking about pertaining to the MVP award this season, but there may not be a player more valuable to their franchise this season than DeMar DeRozan has been with the Chicago Bulls.
