NEWSLETTER
Before he helped carry the Chicago Bulls to their first playoff appearance since the 2016-17 season, DeMar DeRozan was talked about for all the wrong reasons. Many analysts and fans alike criticized the front office’s decision to ink the veteran forward to a three-year, $82 million contract. Not only were there questions about his style of play in today’s 3-point-heavy era, but many saw the fit alongside Zach LaVine as suspect at best.
Indeed, Bleacher Report went as far as ranking DeRozan the single-worst free-agent signing of the 2021-22 offseason. ESPN also shared a survey where executives and scouts voted the DeRozan deal the “worst move” of the summer. The declarations felt extreme at the time, but they quickly became downright egregious when the season tipped off.
DeRozan and LaVine instantly became one of the NBA’s most dynamic scoring duos – later finishing the season as the only teammates to finish top-13 in total points scored. And, as the Bulls struggled with injuries across the roster, DeRozan single-handedly kept the team afloat. His outstanding play helped vault the organization into the No. 1 seed in the East for over half the regular season, which (rightfully) had his name in the MVP mix.
By the end of the season, DeRozan had his fifth All-Star appearance and third All-NBA Team selection. He finished second in total points scored, first in 4th quarter points scored, and had his third-straight season as arguably the league’s best isolation scorer.
Simply put, his first season in Chicago was his best yet, and DeRozan freely admitted that we have the preseason disrespect to thank for that. In a conversation with Draymond Green earlier this offseason, DeRozan described his 2021-22 campaign as “vengeance.” And you read a lot more about that here.
One would think that after DeRozan put that much egg on his doubters’ faces that the hate would stop there. But it looks like the five-time All-Star has another headline to file away.
Bleacher Report recently released an article titled “The NBA’s Most Overrated Players of the Last 10 Years,” and I think you can guess who appeared third on their list.
HAVE Y’ALL LEARNED NOTHING!?
I truly don’t understand why DeRozan was thrown into this conversation. Over the last decade, he has compiled five All-Star appearances and three All-NBA selections. He has played in 63 playoff games and even appeared in the Eastern Conference Finals. As we referenced above, he’s also been one of the NBA’s most elite isolation scorers since the 2015 season.
I understand that some of the advanced analytics have implied that his teams are better with him off the floor than on it (largely because of his poor defense). His overall effective field goal percentage has also been rather lackluster throughout much of his career. But, at the end of the day, his teams have won a lot of games. Not to mention, when it comes to scoring the basketball, few players in the league have done it at his consistently dominant level.
Also, how can a player who so many have slept on since he arrived in San Antonio (and particularly last summer) suddenly become overrated? It’s not like DeRozan’s style of play received this endless flow of love and support over the last decade. Let’s also not forget that his abilities in the playoffs were frequently questioned while in Toronto. In my opinion, an overrated player is someone who, despite performing rather poorly and/or not having the accolades, constantly receives an outpouring of affection. Can we really say DeRozan fits that mold?
Anyway, I need to wrap this up. I’ve already given this list exactly what it wants by dedicating an entire post to it. So, if you need me, I’ll be placing some DeMar DeRozan’s MVP bets.
