DeMar DeRozan has undoubtedly become a Top-5 candidate to win the MVP award this season. Against the Atlanta Hawks, DeRozan exploded for another 30+ game for the Bulls to secure a 108-112 victory over Trae Young and co.
DeRozan also had several clutch moments on his way to finish the game with 37 points on 70+ percent shooting from the field. DeRozan pushed his league mark of scoring at least 35 points while shooting 50% or better to eight consecutive games.
20 seconds left, down 1. The good news? We have @DeMar_DeRozan. pic.twitter.com/FK8arlS9op — Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) February 25, 2022
The Bulls won their sixth consecutive game, while DeRozan came up big in the closing moments, scoring five points in the last five minutes. DeRozan has played the second-most clutch minutes in the league so far, putting up impressive numbers.
More specifically, the Bulls are a plus-22.1 with DeRozan on the floor during situations of a game where a team is leading or trailing by five points or fewer in the last five minutes.
“You love it, and you hate it,” DeRozan said after the win against Atlanta. “Of course, you don’t want to be down and have that pressure on yourself to try to pull out a game. But when you’re in those moments, you’ve got to take it on. I love the moments, I love the challenge, I love the opportunity.”
🔥 DeMar DeRozan is a BUCKET 🔥 The @chicagobulls win their 6th straight game powered by DeMar DeRozan's 9th straight 30+ point performance! #BullsNation@DeMar_DeRozan: 37 PTS (15-21 FGM), 6 REB pic.twitter.com/chobqCIe2D — NBA (@NBA) February 25, 2022
The Bulls revamped their roster and build a potential contender with DeRozan as the battering ram. The veteran forward is averaging 28.1 points per, shooting a remarkable 52.1 percent from the field and a respectable 35.3 percent from deep, which is a career-high.
Through 55 games, DeRozan went in as he wanted to make a point that it doesn’t matter from where you’re shooting, but how effective you’re doing it. The Bulls’ superstar was considered, and he still is a mid-range connoisseur.
Most of his points are coming from the 2-point field, as he’s scoring 91 percent of his points from the paint or the mid-range area. He only attempts 1.8 threes per game, and 0.3 pull-up attempts per from deep.
The Bulls are doing an outstanding job on putting DeRozan in the paint and let him go to work against the defense, as Chicago returned to prominence this season because of that strategy.
They won their 39th game of the season, and they are at the top of the standings along with the Miami Heat, who hasn’t played yet after the All-Star break. It’s pretty baffling that the Bulls’ forward is not a top-five candidate to win the MVP award this year.
In the latest NBA MVP ladder, DeRozan is 9th in the rankings among other NBA superstars like Chris Paul, Steph Curry and Devin Booker. While the Top-3 (Jokic, Embiid, Giannis) seems to be a legit choice, the rest of the rankings seems to be at least questionable.
In any case, DeRozan is really a marvel to watch, as he’s methodically breaking down defenses to create easy scoring opportunities. His EFG% is at 53.7 percent, while his TS% is at 60.4 percent at team-high 30 percent usage.
The Bulls will be among the top teams, entering the playoffs, but, they will need to prove themselves in the postseason to enter the discussion for a potential championship run.
DeRozan will have to carry the team in the playoffs to maybe make the league turn its head towards him.
Photo: Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune
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