Most people questioned the DeMar DeRozan signing in Chicago this off-season. DeMar is without a doubt an All-Star level player, but he was placed alongside another All-Star at practically the same position and one that has a similar playstyle in Zach LaVine.
On his podcast, Bill Simmons said, “I don’t understand why they would want him and Zach Lavine on the same team.” He predicted that the Bulls would be a play-in tournament team, and that they would finish with around a .500 record.
However, he recently went back on his previous comments:
"“That team can score. I got that one wrong. If you did the All-NBA right now, I think DeMar would be the #1 guard for me. Amazing free-agent signing.”"
Needless to say, critics were quickly silenced.
DeMar DeRozan has silenced critics, as he is now leading the Chicago Bulls to a potential top spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs
Through 32 games, DeMar is averaging 26.9 PPG, 5.0 RPG, and 4.5 APG. Not only that, but the Lavine/DeRozan duo is the highest-scoring tandem in the entire league.
The chemistry between the two looks like poetry in motion… DeRozan to Lavine alley-oop finishes. Highlight play after highlight play. Obilterating teams by 40. And DeRozan is nailing game-winners left and right.
The Big 3 of Lavine, DeRozan, and Vucevic has proven to be a force to be reckoned with. Nikola Vucevic is the third star who opted to take a slight backseat to the two guards.
In a situation like this, there must be a player within the big 3 that decides to take the backseat, and coincidentally it is usually the “big” player. Consider the Miami Heat big 3. Who took the backseat? Chris Bosh. Or the Cleveland Cavaliers – Kevin Love.
Apart from the Big 3, the Bulls have plenty of other assets that have contributed to their overall success.
They’ve got Lonzo Ball shooting a career-high 41 percent from the three-point line. Alex Caruso is going out there every night and giving hell to the opposing team’s point guard on the defensive end. And now they have Coby White coming in and providing a scoring spark off the bench.
Fully healthy, this team is loaded.
The Chicago Bulls currently sit atop the Eastern Conference Throne as the number one seed with a record of 25-10. Ahead of teams like the Nets, the Bucks, the Heat. The Chicago Bulls have looked spectacular to begin the season and it is largely because of DeMar DeRozan’s play.