Chicago Bulls: DeMar DeRozan is a Top 5 MVP candidate
Time after time, game after game, night after night, there has been a player in a Chicago Bulls uniform who never seems to let us down, have an off game, or not bring the action. This guy has brought it all to Chicago since his debut and has established a comfortable environment for himself that he has to be happy and proud of. I am referring to Mr. DeMar DeRozan.
There is surely a reason he’s in the top-five discussion of NBA MVP candidates. DeRozan is in the race because of his outrageous scoring capabilities and overall numbers that he puts up consistently each game. He has a variety of slick ways he can put the ball in the net. He can pull up for a jumper in the lane like Kobe, he can drive to the rim and finish off the glass, he can stroke the 3-ball, and he can also deliver from the free throw line.
It’s not uncommon to see him blaze past defenses to finish the bucket in transition and on the open floor, as he’s one heck of an athlete. He can influence and cause damage by also racking up assists. He dishes out an average of five assists per game and accomplishes it with sheer talent and a high IQ. He’s also a threat on the boards and pulls down about five per game.
DeRozan is currently sixth in the league in scoring at 27.6 PPG, and he easily tells his story each night with his style of play. Another honor he recently achieved was becoming the first Bulls player in 25 years to score a total of 50 fourth-quarter points in just three games. This definitely shows his work ethic, and his desire to compete and finish each game with a sense of urgency.
At the moment, DeRozan joins nine other outstanding and incredible NBA stars that are currently in discussion for the 2021-2022 MVP award. Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Ja Morant, Luka Doncic, Steph Curry, Devin Booker, Jayson Tatum, and Karl-Anthony Towns are the others who are heavily favored to win. That’s quite the talented list there, and DeRozan meshes in with it tremendously and is just as skilled as each and every one of them.
There’s no question DeRozan is up against some elite, top-notch, well-rounded competition there. However, DeRozan tops many of these guys because of his ability to fill out the entire stat sheet and put up a full package numbers. Every night, DeRozan is typically either nailing a buzzer-beater or putting up 30 a game. His effectiveness comes from his demeanor and ability to remain calm. He plays effortlessly at times and makes his points look easy to get.
The Bulls are currently in fifth place in the Eastern Conference. They definitely have the time to move back up the ladder in the rankings and get back to where they started. After taking down the Cavaliers on Saturday, they will then travel to New York for a game against the Knicks Monday, which will begin a crucial stretch to make up 3.5 games of ground for the top spot in the East.
If the Bulls can continue letting DeRozan loose while figuring out their defense, we could be looking at an epic comeback to end the season, which could propel the star veteran in the MVP conversation.
