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.
Once with the San Antonio Spurs, it was a case of out of sight, out of mind with DeMar DeRozan. He was paired with LaMarcus Aldridge, another player who appeared more suited to a style of play that was dying out. This transition came quickly once Stephen Curry was successfully hoisting shots up from half-court.
Despite this, DeRozan still averaged over 20 points a game during his three years in Texas, a feat we take for granted, but one that is not easily done.
The Spurs weren’t relevant, though, (DeRozan appeared in one playoff series while in town), and rather than look to the front office to move with the times, the blame was instead placed on the antiquated games of both DeRozan and Aldridge.
After a some forgotten years with the San Antonio Spurs, DeMar DeRozan has found a home with the Chicago Bulls
When he joined the Bulls this past summer via a sign-and-trade deal, he inked a three-year, $85 million deal. Eyebrows were raised. This was a guy who certainly put up points, but who in nine years with the Raptors averaged just over 28 percent from deep, and with the Spurs, saw that number decrease horribly to 22.7 percent.
Yet the more midrange-heavy game of DeRozan has not only found a home in Chicago. It works brilliantly around the other pieces in place. Nobody is talking about it either, but the shade over 33 percent DeRozan is shooting from distance this season is (on 2.5 attempts) is one of the better numbers he has ever posted in that category.
It is not just about the offensive game that allows DeRozan to create for himself and score in all manner of ways. At 32, he is having the best year of his career because he looks comfortable, but also fearless.
Never was this more apparent than in a recent win over the reeling Brooklyn Nets, as DeRozan went toe-to-toe with James Harden and Kevin Durant and pulled out the win.
Championships aren’t handed out in December, and in a seven-game series, you still would have to favor the singular talent of Kevin Durant in particular.
That being said, DeMar DeRozan is thriving as the veteran All-Star who is both proving people wrong and leading by example in equal measure. We haven’t even seen close to the best of Nikola Vucevic yet either, but DeRozan could help to unlock that.
The two played college ball together at USC, and have remained friends ever since. Vucevic’s defensive game can leave a lot to be desired (while also not being as bad as you think), but the potential for the two-man game between him and DeRozan when attacking opponents is something that hasn’t even been fully realized yet.
DeMar DeRozan deserves this success with the Chicago Bulls more than anyone
At this stage of the year, DeRozan has been a top-ten player in the league since the start of the season, and nobody deserves this to happen to them more.
Stephen Curry is blazing the trail in the MVP discussion, with Durant right behind him. After that, DeRozan is one of a handful of players who is currently in the running for the award. Certainly, not a development any of us say coming.
No matter what though, this move to the Bulls has been amazing for DeRozan. He faded into obscurity in San Antonio and watched from afar as the Raptors won a championship.
He improved his game down in Texas, not that anybody was watching, but has brought that back to the brighter lights of the always-talked-about Bulls.
A championship might be a step too far at this point for this group, but the personal redemption of DeRozan is complete. He’s surpassed his previous All-Star best and is sure to be back in the exhibition game later in the season. Their best player since Derrick Rose? Why the hell not.