Title image via USA Today
Courtesy of adamtaylornba at Bulls Wire
DeMar DeRozan is entering his final contract year with the Chicago Bulls. However, with a full season ahead of him, Bulls’ fans will likely be excited to see what DeRozan produces on the court as one of their star scorers attempts to help the team make the playoffs.
However, despite his exceptional scoring ability, DeRozan is not considered a top-20 player in the NBA. The 34-year-old six-time All-Star is in the final stages of his career and has struggled to adapt his offensive game to scoring beyond the perimeter. As such, CBS Sports has ranked DeRozan as the 44th-best player in the league heading into the new season.
Here’s what CBS Sports had to say about DeRozan:
After heroic efforts for most of the Bulls’ 2021-22 season, DeRozan cooled off just a bit last year. His numbers were still solid, shooting over 50% from the floor for the second consecutive year, enough to earn him an All-Star spot. He regressed as a 3-point shooter, though he’s always lived in the mid-range, where he was as dangerous as always. As he enters the final year of his deal before becoming a free agent, DeRozan could be playing with some extra motivation to secure another long-term deal, either in Chicago or elsewhere.”
If Chicago’s season doesn’t go as planned, and the franchise struggles out of the gates, there’s a chance DeRozan won’t finish the season in a Bulls jersey. Expiring contracts are valuable trade chips, which could lead Chicago to cash in on one of their star players if they decide to embrace a rebuild.
Nevertheless, DeRozan will provide the Bulls with multi-level scoring to begin the season and will undoubtedly be one of the team’s top performers as they look to bounce back from a difficult 2022-23 season.
