DeRozan has demonstrated to Bulls there is no ceiling
Before the start of the regular season, Darnell Mayberry from The Athletic went around the press room asking the Bulls beat writers for a win total prediction.
After giving it a solid 6 seconds of thought, I said 46. Darnell said that was the highest total of the group.
I point this out not to humblebrag - well, maybe a little - but because it's a good illustration of how surprising this Bulls season has been.
Back in September, most people thought the play-in tournament was a reasonable goal. Instead, the Bulls have 38 wins and are first in the East heading into the all-star break.
Looking ahead, yes, this is still a team that may not be built for the playoffs. They are undersized, count on playing with high energy. If they're not completely healthy, or close to it, the Bulls aren't going anywhere in the postseason.
Actually, they need to get through the regular season first. They have injured players who won't be back until March and a couple of bad weeks could have them fighting to stay out of the play-in tournament.
But as long as DeMar DeRozan is playing at his current level, doing things that have never been done in the NBA, there is no ceiling.
Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo are great players and virtually impossible to stop, but neither made their name by hitting clutch shots in the fourth quarter. The Bulls have a player who is in the argument for best closer in the East. That can become a set of closers if Zach LaVine's knee feels good after the break.
NBA playoff games often come down to who has the best player in the fourth quarter. DeRozan was on the other side of that when his Toronto teams came up short against LeBron James. Based on what he's shown so far this season, DeRozan could be the one ready to lead a playoff run.
Already, he's done two things this season that had never been done in the NBA: buzzer-beating game-winners on consecutive days and now seven straight games scoring at least 35 points, while shooting at least 30% from the field.
DeRozan was thinking about greatness when he first suited up for the Bulls, reliving the championship era.
"Early in the season, I was watching "The Last Dance" again and my daughter walked in on me watching it and she said, 'Why are you not in the game?'" he said. "It looked like the same arena. I had to tell her it was the 90s."
If the Bulls do have LaVine, Lonzo Ball, Alex Caruso and Patrick Williams healthy for the playoffs, the injury struggles of February could conceivably lead to better moments in May.
Rookie Ayo Dosunmu is getting invaluable on-the-job training as the starting point guard and has been up to the challenge. Coby White might just be getting into basketball shape after spending the offseason recovering from shoulder surgery. He's hit 21 of 33 3-pointers in the last four games.
Assuming Pacers coach Rick Carlisle knows what he's talking about, the Bulls will add veteran big man Tristan Thompson after he's released by Indiana.
"I'd like to see what this group can do whole," coach Billy Donovan said. "But I am very grateful and appreciative up to this point, the way these guys have continued to fight."
This version of the Bulls will be new to the playoff experience, assuming they get there. But just remember, DeRozan was devastated when he was traded away from Toronto. While the Raptors won a title without him, DeRozan was down in San Antonio plotting his comeback.
Donovan spent some time after Wednesday's win over Sacramento stating the obvious. DeRozan has been the catalyst to lift the Bulls beyond reasonable expectations.
"I can't speak enough of what he does for the group," Donovan said. "People see the numbers at the end of games, but it's in the huddles, it's at halftime, it's in practice, it's keeping his composure, talking to the guys.
"There's just so many things he does from a leadership perspective that really impact winning. The best compliment I can give him is he is a great player because he makes every one of our guys better."
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