Getty DeMar DeRozan #11 of the Chicago Bulls reacts.
Believe half of what you see and none of what you hear. Despite the clear conundrum that line may present if taken literally, it is generally understood. If one doesn’t witness an event happen for themselves, take any account of it with a grain of salt.
As it pertains to the Chicago Bulls (13-18), reports of their locker room turmoil have not reflected the feel-good story they were last season.
There are rumors that Zach LaVine might want out amid discontent and he is not the only one.
His teammate, DeMar DeRozan, who has been a key factor in the LaVine storyline, is also named in a report from Bleacher Report NBA insider Chris Haynes that says rival executives speculating on a potential trade demand should things return to a downward trend in Chicago. DeRozan, never one to shy away from chatter, responded to the rumor with a popular NSFW clip.
DeRozan Claps Back
Through all of the turmoil, the Bulls have said all of the right things publicly – and privately if you subscribe to head coach Billy Donovan’s theory that such conflict as they have had is “healthy” – and DeRozan has been no exception.
In many ways, he has been the closest thing to Donovan in terms of voicing his frustrations with the Bulls’ inconsistent effort. He said after their 114-91 loss to the New York Knicks on December 16 that they “played like s***” and has also said that they have to get tired of the feeling of losing, especially in the manner that they have several times this season.
The only other players to be as critical of the team have been Goran Dragic who said they are not playing for each other, a criticism he also had of his Brooklyn Nets team last season, and LaVine.
But DeRozan has sounded far from ready to jump ship.
“Every great relationship is a work in progress,” DeRozan said after the report of the Bulls locker room blowups came out. “And when you appreciate it and it’s something you want to be a part (of), you’re going to go through the good and the bad with it. Not saying the bad is a bad thing. It just comes with it.”
DeMar DeRozan on Sunday’s halftime: “It’d be a problem if we didn’t have any type of aggressive confrontation someway. It ain’t like nobody throwing blows or throwing chairs or anything like that.”
Going The Wrong Way
At this time last season, the Bulls were 19-10 and sitting second in the Eastern Conference behind the Brooklyn Nets. In February, LaVine was making bold claims about himself and DeRozan’s then-38-21 Bulls who emerged from the All-Star break atop the conference.
“I think right now, we’re the best duo in the NBA,” LaVine said, per Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago. “I think we are, personally. Just where we’re at right now obviously in the standings and the level of play that we’re at. We came into the year with people having different narratives about us and our team and I think we [proved those wrong]. So I think we’re gonna continue to grow on that and get better.”
Flash forward to this season, and the Bulls are one half-game out of the Play-In Tournament and defending themselves against leaks of inner strife.
Zach LaVine following the Bulls’ fourth-straight loss, which dropped them to 11-18: “It’s frustrating for all of us. I know it’s frustrating for the fans. It’s embarrassing. We’re all a little embarrassed about it.”
But DeRozan has maintained that same positive outlook.
“It’s not ideal where we’re at,” he said after that loss to the Knicks, whom the Bulls will see for the third time in nine days in their next outing. “But hey, great stories start with some sort of tragedy.”
The Bulls’ Tragedy
The tragedy for the Bulls is starting point guard Lonzo Ball’s knee injury and the subsequent recovery that is almost certain to extend beyond a full calendar year. Ball underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus in January and then needed a clean-up procedure to remove loose cartilage that his father, LaVar Ball, said caused nerve damage.
Ball recently spoke with Schaefer and detailed his current stage of recovery which included “a lot of mobility stuff” as he continues to try to work through the pain. But he was not as down as that would seem to suggest.
“I’m finally seeing some improvement, which is nice to see,” Ball said of his recent progress. “It’s still not obviously where I want to be. But it’s definitely positive light at the end of the tunnel.”
That’s great news for Ball who says he’s trying to find ways to get back on the floor to produce. Unfortunately for the Bulls, it is increasingly less likely that he helps them this season and, despite their last two wins, they are still not close to being out of the woods yet.