He's the NBA's most underrated star, but he's rewarding the Bulls with his strength

In the temporary press room of the TD Gardeners, where Boston Celtics cheerleaders stored their stuff before coronavirus suspended live events, three Chicago-area reporters and Associated Press writers awaited Chicago Bulls guard DeMar DeRozan.

It's hard not to welcome a player who was named to the two-time NBA All-In-Chief Team for $82 million in the offseason, who just easily scored 37 points in a game that reversed and won and put the team on the league's best record.

Shortly after his coach and a second-round rookie praised him for his seamless contribution to the team's 6-1 start, enough time for the Chicago media delegation to sort out their travel plans and have a PR employee change into more comfortable clothing on a night flight to Philadelphia, DeRozan strolled through several nearly empty chairs, his black-and-red flannel coat draped in a light gray sweatshirt.

DeRozan has appeared on the NBA's list of the most underrated stars.

"I know from the moment I came here that everyone in the team has that responsibility and won't give up," said DeRozan, who helped erase the 19-point difference in the second half on 15-of-20 shooting that night and win 128-114 on the road. "That's why I'm here, and in my conversations with management, I feel that. I'm aware of that, I understand that, as a competitor, that's what I want to be a part of. Teammates have the same mentality, so for me, it's more than words can describe. Everyone is willing to put it into action, understanding that nothing is perfect, but everyone wants to win. ”

The Bulls are a team built on DeRozan. In a first-and-last deal with the San Antonio Spurs, the 3-year, $82 million contract he received was widely criticized simply because not too many, if any, other teams were willing to offer a similar contract to a player who was selected for a four-time All-Star but whose ceiling may only be a secondary star.

DeRozan, along with three other talented players who were equally unpopular, formed a team that no one believed could win the Eastern Conference championship: Zach Lavin, 26, who was named an All-Star and had not yet appeared in the playoffs; Nikola Vucevic, who was twice named an All-Star and spent most of his 10-year career with the mediocre Orlando Magic; and Lonzo Ball, who has recently played on the No. 2 spot, has played for his third team since 2019. They have been given the task of recasting the glory of a team that was once great but has been in the lottery zone for the past four seasons.

We spent a lot of time talking about what kind of players they couldn't be — the superstars who could bring championships — not what kind of players they were — a bunch of good players who, if run-in right, could exceed expectations.

DeRozan is a corner of this puzzle, a reliable component. The Toronto Raptors formed a 59-win team based on DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry. Lowry is a lot like LaVine, who spent his first seven seasons in a team with less than 50% wins to find a foothold in the All-Star race. The subsequent DeRozan deal brought to Toronto The Last Piece of the Puzzle for Toronto's Championship. Watching someone else accomplish what you've pioneered is a very embarrassing thing in the NBA.

However, DeRozan has humbly led the NBA's toughest rebuild over the past three seasons. The San Antonio Spurs' small-market success story stretches from Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili to Leonard, who destroyed the last remaining bridge of the dynasty. His successor, DeRozan, did not ask for responsibility for leading a ragtag group of rookies who were in the first round, but he accepted the status quo.

DeRozan did what he did best in San Antonio. He entered where he had adapted. Without Lowry around, DeRozan was tasked with creating opportunities for the young Spurs, and he transformed into an elite-level playmaker who, as a mid-range master who was reluctant to shoot from outside the three-point line, always scored with exceptional efficiency.

"He's a basketball player, that's it, he's a basketball player," Bulls head coach Billy Donovan said. "He can pass the ball, he has a very good vision. He can single in the low post. He can block and dismantle. He can shoot from mid-range... He's just a player. He's the kind of guy who, if he's in a certain system, you just throw him in and he's very adaptable because he's going to figure out where he's, how to get to where he is and what he needs to do. ”

DeRozan's influence is also limited, with his three-point shooting being one of the limitations. Defense is another. He's not a perfect basketball player, and the Bulls aren't a perfect team either, but they're all great and what we need to realize as soon as possible is how their strengths translate into victories, rather than staring at their shortcomings.

"When I signed here," DeRozan said, "they kept stressing one thing — just be myself." You see the comfort I bring on the field, the pleasure I bring, the joy that I bring is that I am being myself. ”

Take DeRozan's performance on Monday night in Boston, for example. He did a great job in a game without a hint of resistance, scoring 19 points in the first 15 minutes of the game, helping the Chicago Bulls lead 44-35 and helping LaVine through a tough start of 1-of-8 shooting. Celtic flank Jaylen Brown counter-attacked with his own firepower — scoring 26 points in 15 minutes and turning the score in their favor to 87-69 in the middle of the third quarter.

Donovan adjusted his defense to line up Tony Bradley Jr., Derek Jones Jr., Alex Caruso and second-round potential rookie Ayo Dosem at Lavine's side, who was already in full swing, scoring 14 points in a 31-11 offensive surge for the Bulls. DeRozan watched it all from the bench, "sharing any experience I could bring us together," and then slashing another 10 points in the second half of the fourth quarter, erasing Boston's final lead in this crucial victory.

"He's fantastic for our team," Donovan added of DeRozan. "I think he's great for Zach. I can see that Zach has some pressure when he misses shooting. I think there were a couple of times when he was too aggressive and there were times when there was a chance to pass the ball to other guys, but having a player like DeMar, a player who plays with his own pace, slowly, calmly – you can never let him deviate from what he's doing. I think he's the kind of guy who's been through a lot on his own, and in terms of his career, he's also been through a lot of wins. ”

Stars of the same caliber as DeRozan and Lavine may argue when they can't press each other, but of course they can feed each other and sell their selflessness to teams that are willing to pay for it. The Celtics refused to pay for the offer on Tuesday, and Marcus Smart called on Brown and Jason Tatum to come out of the blind singles in his post-game press conference. DeRozan had seen enough that he knew how to make the Bulls better.

"We're just continuing to learn from each other," he said of Lavin. "It's definitely fun to play with him. He's a very, very incredible basketball player, but even more so as a human being. It's fun to be there. Whatever I can do to alleviate any problems he and my team have, I will definitely do it. ”

In Tuesday's winning game, DeRozan even tried to shoot four 3-pointers (and hit three of them), the third time he's tried to project so many three-pointers in his first seven games in Chicago. He only made four three-pointers four times throughout last season — also in his first eight games — so there's reason to remain patient with the conclusion that he's integrated into Chicago. But the early returns remain encouraging, largely because DeRozan has brought stability to the Bulls.

"When you see these guys in documentaries — his time in Toronto and San Antonio — you try to find out what he likes, what he doesn't like, things like that," Donovan said, "but unfortunately a lot of times people don't see what kind of person he is." He's a great guy and a team player. He was an incredible, selfless, very humble guy and he was a good man. I love working with him. I put Zach and Vucevic in the same category. All very very nice people. ”

With that said, Donovan, ashamed of his 31-win record last season, got up and left the cramped conference room at TD Garden to make room for his underrated star to head to Philadelphia with the league's best record.