The 2023-24 NBA season didn’t go exactly as planned for the Chicago Bulls. They had several obstacles to overcome, as injuries depleted the team’s rotation throughout the campaign, leading head coach Billy Donovan short-handed.
Point guard Lonzo Ball didn’t play this season as he is still recovering from his knee injury. Zach LaVine was in the lineup for only 25 games, which placed him 13th in games played on the team this season. Patrick Williams played in only 43 games as lineups were changing constantly.
But, one player that Donovan could rely on with confidence was veteran DeMar DeRozan. DeRozan was something of an Ironman for the Bulls this season as he played in and started 79 games for the team.
He led the team with 24 points and 5.3 assists per game, adding 4.3 rebounds and 1.1 assists as well. But, the most impressive statistic that DeRozan recorded during the 2023-24 campaign was how many minutes he logged.
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Despite being 34 years old, DeRozan led the team in minutes played, averaging 37.8 per game. That number, along with the 2,989 total minutes which he played this season, led the entire NBA.
Given the current landscape of the league, any player, let alone someone with as much wear and tear as DeRozan, playing that many games and minutes is an impressive feat. In fact, his minutes played this season are the most by any player this decade.
It will be interesting to see what happens with DeRozan this offseason. He is set to hit free agency and should have a robust marker. DeRozan has shown that he has plenty left in the tank to offer a team and is capable of carrying the load offensively.
After keeping him through the 2024 NBA Trade Deadline, it would be fair to assume DeRozan is someone the Bulls would like to retain long-term. His free agency will be one of the most intriguing in the league as Chicago isn’t close to contention but could be willing to pay him the most money to stay.
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