DeMar DeRozan shoots down criticism of his ‘fit’ with the Bulls

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Getty DeMar DeRozan celebrates his winning shot against the Dallas Mavericks on April 11.

DeMar DeRozan is bullshitting critics of his signing-and-trade deal with the Bulls.

The four-time All-Star is unaffected by criticism that has questioned his place in the system and the squad built with coach Billy Donovan over the past year.

“It’s basketball. A lot of people I see criticize and talk about his form which has probably never played basketball, ”DeRozan said in his introductory press conference on Friday. “As a basketball player you go out, play in the park, some of your best teams are (with) guys you don’t even know. For me, if everyone is on the same page, the same mindset and wants to win, no matter the fit. “

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DeRozan related to new teammates

In what he called the first free agency of his 12-year career, DeRozan found Chicago to be the right fit, given he and his future teammates have a lot to prove in the NBA.

“Every guy when I look at this list has a bullet on their shoulders,” DeRozan said. “I’ve known Vuc since college, I know what type of player he is, how badly he wants to win. Zach (LaVine) wants to be on that main stage and wants to compete for something more than just stats over the season.

DeRozan, who played with Vucevic at USC, became familiar with watching LaVine grow into an All-Star-caliber player.

“That’s where a lot of respect comes from, looking at guys like Zach,” said DeRozan, adding that LaVine’s desire to be a contender goes beyond individual accolades. “You see them put to work, how badly they want to win, how badly they want it and it’s just not about highlights and stars, it’s a lot bigger than that.”

DeRozan compares his career to the Bulls franchise and its players hoping to make the playoffs for the first time since 2017.

“My whole motto my entire career is to be the person, not to prove them wrong, but to prove to myself that I am right with my work ethic and my approach to the game,” said DeRozan. “This is another challenge that I look forward to, probably one of the most important of my career. At the end of the day, I want to have the final say and I want to do it with a bunch of guys who have also gone through similar obstacles in their careers. “

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Where DeRozan could fit

DeRozan joining LaVine and Vucevic gives Chicago a trio of players who averaged 20 or more points per game last season.

As the ninth leading active scorer of all time in the NBA, DeRozan will still get his shots but could prove to be a stronger facilitator after registering a career-high 6.9 assists per game this season. last with the San Antonio Spurs.

Able to execute the pick-and-roll effectively with LaVine, DeRozan or Lonzo Ball, Vucevic should see a lot of action in the post and could deploy outside where he reached fourth of three (422) among the big ones in the past. four Seasons.

LaVine stands to benefit the most with several skilled ball handlers now in the starting lineup. LaVine, instead of having to create himself, can start choosing his shots selectively with the extra floor space.

Meanwhile, DeRozan and LaVine could have success as two of the league’s toughest missions.

“Only 12 players averaged more points than DeRozan (3.6) alone last season, and he ranked in the 96th percentile with 1.20 points per possession. LaVine was not far behind him, ranking 20th with 2.7 isolation points per game and in the 92nd percentile with 1.14 points per possession, ”wrote Scott Rafferty of NBA.com.

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