NEWSLETTER
If the reason why Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley made DeMar DeRozan a free-agency priority this summer was not clear then, it sure is now.
The four-time All-Star has looked the part (and then some) in his first seven games in a Chicago Bulls uniform. In fact, he has arguably been the primary catalyst of the team’s 6-1 record, which is not only tied for the league’s best mark, but also serves as the organization’s best start since the 2011-12 season. For rising young talents like Zach LaVine and Lonzo Ball, as well as an All-Star-caliber big man who has limited playoff success, the experience DeRozan has brought to the table has been the perfect steering wheel.
“Watching him grow, and watching his maturity both on and off the court has been amazing for me personally, just watching his growth, “Marc Eversley, who helped draft DeRozan to the Raptors back in 2009, said in a recent episode of All-Access on the Chicago Bulls YouTube channel. “Any time you can bring in a veteran that brings his credentials, it’s great. It’s great in the locker room, it’s great out on the floor, it’s great for Billy and the staff.”
Each episode of the Bulls’ All-Access program has shown brief glimpses of the player DeRozan is behind the scenes. Whether it’s hugging Zach LaVine after an opening night win and telling him, “the first one is always the hardest one,” or chirping at the second unit during practice in Toronto, or grabbing his teammates’ attention for a teachable moment in practice, DeRozan has looked like the locker room leader this newly-constructed roster requires.
Not to mention, his level-headed and hardworking mindset, as well as the willingness to teach that mindset, has been on full display in interviews since he arrived. While the gaudy contract Chicago handed him must play a role in his comfort level, the opportunity to channel that underdog mentality and build something new has clearly been a motivator for the 32-year-old.
“We got out there and try to play for each other and try to have fun,” DeRozan said in All-Access. “We still understand we have a lot to learn offensively and defensively. And I tell them, just be patient. We are going to have some bumps in the road, but as long as we play hard, we can rely on that every single night.”
As important as the off-court talk can be, though, it’s the walking the walk that makes those words mean so much more. DeRozan has not just been a quality role-filler for Chicago thus far; he’s also the secondary All-Star this team desperately needed to force the next competitive step. As of today, DeRozan’s 179 points are 7th-most in the league, while his 49.3 field goal percentage sits 5th-highest among the league’s top-10 scorers
Even better, as the competition has increased, so have DeRozan’s contributions. He strung together back-to-back 30 points games to lead the Bulls to victory over both the Utah Jazz and Boston Celtics. The performance he had against Jayson Tatum and Co. was particularly eye-popping, grabbing 37 points on a ridiculously efficient 15-20 performance from the field.
“All it takes is parts of the game to buckle down and stick together, so for me just keeping that calm, not getting rattled, and just sharing whatever experience I can to just keep us together,” DeRozan told reporters after Monday’s comeback victory against the Celtics.
Arguably nothing demonstrates DeRozan’s leadership better than his chill late-game demeanor. Among the league’s top-20 scorers thus far, DeRozan has averaged by far the fewest turnovers per game. Throw in his ability to average the 6th-most free-throw attempts a night, and he’s helped the Bulls level the playing field tremendously in the final frame.
I know it’s early, but the team is already 4-1 in clutch games this season (contests within 5 points with 5 minutes or less left to go), which feels quite encouraging after a 14-21 record in such outings last year. Overall, DeRozan has posted the 2nd-most 4th quarter points (50) behind only Giannis Antetokounmpo (51), and he has also done that on just three total turnovers (10 for Antetokounmpo).
The point is that DeRozan has done nothing but justify the trust this organization put into him this summer. Again, we may be early on the Bulls playoff pursuit, but I do not think it’s too early to recognize that DeRozan is making for an even better fit on and off the court than anyone could have imagined.
Make sure to watch the latest episode of All-Access below:
