Getty DeMar DeRozan #11 of the Chicago Bulls shoots a free throw during a game.
DeMar DeRozan is playing the best basketball of his career this season for the Chicago Bulls at 32 years old. The All-Star shooting guard is averaging a career-high 27.9 points while shooting an efficient 51.5% from the field.
Behind DeRozan’s stellar play, the Bulls are in second place in the Eastern Conference.
Michael Jordan and Derrick Rose are the only two players in Chicago franchise history to win MVP, but DeRozan could possibly join them this season since he’s third in the NBA in points per game and leads the league in fourth-quarter scoring.
DeRozan was overlooked during his three-year run with the San Antonio Spurs since Kawhi Leonard won the 2019 championship in his first season with the Toronto Raptors after getting traded for Deebo. However, DeRozan has reminded everyone this season how special he is and two of the greatest players in NBA history are happy for the California native.
Tracy McGrady, Dwyane Wade Give DeRozan His Flowers
During TNT’s postgame show on February 15, NBA icons Tracy McGrady and Dwyane Wade spoke about how spectacular DeRozan has been for the Bulls. McGrady, who is in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, said DeRozan should be in the MVP conversation, while Wade, who will be in the Hall of Fame one day, talked about his appreciation for DeRozan’s overall game.
“(He) should be in the MVP conversation,” McGrady said of DeRozan, via Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago. “I love what I see from DeMar. I mean, that midrange is deadly. He’s Mr. Consistent. I knew this (the Bulls) would be a good fit for him.”
Added Wade: “I love that DeMar DeRozan did not change his game. He only improved it. Think about a guy — I don’t know how old DeMar is, but I’m sure he’s in his 30s now — and to me it seems like he’s improved on what he was already very, very good at. He went to San Antonio and everybody forgot about him, even though he was playing at an All-Star level (during his three seasons with the Spurs), and now what he’s doing is just, man, it’s just next level.”
The Bulls will be in the playoffs this season for the first time since 2017. DeRozan has played in 58 postseason games with the Raptors and Spurs, by far the most of any player on Chicago’s roster. With that said, the Bulls will only go as far in the playoffs as DeRozan can take them.
DeRozan Will Have to Be Superman in the Playoffs Too
DeRozan has career playoff averages of 21.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists while shooting 41.8% from the field and 85.1% from the free-throw line. Nikola Vucevic has appeared in only 11 postseason games, while Lonzo Ball and Zach LaVine have never been to the playoffs.
As a result, DeRozan will have to continue to be Superman in the 2022 postseason for the Bulls to go on a deep run since he’s the only player with valuable playoff experience.
Alex Caruso won the 2020 championship with the Los Angeles Lakers, but he’s not an offensive machine like DeRozan, who has scored at least 40 points three times this season.