Lonzo Ball has set a lofty goal for the Bulls this season – a championship. And, as a selfless point guard, he also has high demands on his teammates – especially DeRozan.
"DeRozan has been a star in this league for a long time and I think it's his best year," Ball told reporters. "He showed everyone that he should definitely be MVP this year."
"He was our first choice. We've always had confidence in him when he had the ball in his hand and as you can see, he stood up for us almost every time," Bauer said.
DeRozan's fiery performance in the game put him in the MVP's discussion sequence. The Bulls star is sixth in the NBA in terms of scoring — and if you zoom in to the fourth quarter, it's number one. After DeRozan joined the team, the Bulls jumped from 11th in the East to the best team in the East, and that's his value.
Demar DeRozan is playing at a high level, playing phenomenal last week, becoming the first player ever to throw a whistle ball in a back-to-back match. His crazy shooting drove the entire NBA crazy. He has won a lot of recognition in the league and is now an MVP candidate in the eyes of many.
Lonzo-Bauer wasn't the only one to shout for DeRozan. Recently, NBA star Garnett posted the player ranking list of the season's MVP on social media, and DeRozan ranked second, behind Stephen Curry. The Bulls had an amazing season, and DeRozan played a key role in it.
The seasoned forward swing man proved his worth. In 32 games this season, he averaged 26.9 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game, shooting 49.4 percent from the field and 85.8 percent from the free throws.
In the most recent ESPN poll, DeRozan ranked sixth, behind Curry, Durant, Alphabet Brother, Jokic and KePaul. The names will be difficult to replace, but more than half of the games still haven't been played this season. If DeRozan — and the Bulls — continue to play like this, DeRozan's ranking will definitely improve!