With one quarter of the NBA season in the books, it is fair to say the Chicago Bulls have been better than expected. While they were always going to improve thanks to the additions of DeMar DeRozan and Lonzo Ball to their core of Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic, there were clear concerns as well.
This was especially the case on defense, where it was felt that they would be turnstiles on a lot of opponent’s possessions. Instead, they are 17-9, good for the second spot in the Eastern Conference, and boast a defensive rating of 106.1. That is the fifth-best mark in the entire league. Factor in a top 10 rating offensive as well (109.9, eighth) and this is a franchise that very much looks for real.
The Chicago Bulls as a whole have been a feel-good story, but nobody deserves this moment in the spotlight more than DeMar DeRozan
Although he was rightly traded for Kawhi Leonard so that the Toronto Raptors could win an NBA championship in 2019, it was also a cruel way for DeMar DeRozan to bow out of Canada. He is among the best players in franchise history and, alongside Kyle Lowry, led the Raptors to the conference finals in his time there.
He was a four-time All-Star there and helped put the Raptors back on the map. Lowry rightly gets more credit, but DeRozan was right there with him. It was just unfortunate that they peaked at a time when LeBron James had returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers and was desperate to bring that city a championship.