The Bulls made two big moves in free agency this offseason. The first was acquiring a new starting point guard in Lonzo Ball. They followed that up by bringing in forward DeMar DeRozan. Chicago was applauded for adding Ball however they didn’t get the same reaction with DeRozan. Shortly after adding DeRozan, there was a lot of talk about how he will fit with this Bulls team. Many people chimed in to say he doesn’t make sense on this roster. They even went as far as ranking the Bulls with the worst move in free agency adding DeRozan. Well, DeRozan addressed all the talk about his fit with the Bulls on the No Chill podcast with Gilbert Arenas.
DeMar DeRozan said on No Chill with Gilbert Arenas that his free-agent process was "stressful as shit" and the criticism about his fit with the Chicago Bulls is "all bullshit."
DeMar said that he and Zach LaVine "can be something special. I've always been a fan of Zach."
— Daniel Greenberg (@ChiSportUpdates) August 22, 2021
Simply put DeRozan doesn’t care what the media says about his fit with the team. This is honestly a refreshing take from DeRozan. When the Bulls made these two big moves it almost seemed like the media wanted to find something wrong with the Bulls. There was now a reason for the Bulls to be disliked again. DeRozan, much like Bulls fans, understands that he has a fit on this team. The media can talk all they want all that matters is what happens on the court. DeRozan seems to know that and thinks what the media has to say is irrelevant. He clearly signed with Chicago for a reason. Chicago clearly signed him for a reason. There’s fit there and DeRozan is excited to get things going.
DeRozan is excited to play with Lonzo
During his interview with Gilbert Arenas, DeRozan is asked about what excites him the most about playing with the guys in Chicago. DeRozan starts off by talking about Lonzo Ball.
"He hasn't fully blossomed into his potential. His IQ on the court is incredible. Him being a point guard, a general that he is, his tendencies on the floor is amazing."
– DeMar DeRozan on Lonzo Ball(Via No Chill with Gilbert Arenas)
— Daniel Greenberg (@ChiSportUpdates) August 22, 2021
DeMar, like most people, can see that Ball hasn’t even fully developed into the player he can be. He’s already got a great base on which to build. He already has the mentality of a floor general. All he needs to do now is continue to build upon his skills. Being in a place like Chicago where they truly believe in him will only help his development. DeRozan knows that he is going to be playing with a skilled point guard who is only going to get better and that seems to excite him. One other piece of the Bulls that excites him is shooting guard Zach LaVine.
LaVine and DeRozan will be a problem
During his interview with Gilbert Arenas, you can see at one point when Arenas hesitates just thinking about LaVine and DeRozan on the court together. It seems like his mind is racing about what the duo of LaVine and DeRozan could look like. Just take a look around the 1:10 mark and see how DeRozan reacts to it.
Demar DeRozan on "No Chill with Gilbert Arenas."
Clip 1 is him taking about playing with Lonzo and Zach: pic.twitter.com/5zyL2L3Lgk
— Salim (@Salim_BGhoops) August 23, 2021
DeRozan reacts by discussing how as someone who plays basketball professionally he knows what the two of them could be. Instead of listening to media members who haven’t played before he’s relying on his own expertise. He knows how high LaVine’s ceiling is and he knows that he can pair well with him. I said it earlier but all that matters is what is going on in the Bulls locker room. These guys all know they can play well with one another and are excited to get on the court. It’s good to see DeRozan moving past the media spotlight about this move. He doesn’t seem to be letting it bother him and he’s moving past it.
The Bulls are ready to move forward
Regardless of what media outlets believe DeRozan is a member of the Chicago Bulls. He’s going to start for this team and he’s going to find a fit. Head coach Billy Donovan knows what he has with this roster. He knows the type of lineups he can play with and how each guy will fit with one another. There are a lot of options for Donovan to play with this year compared to last.
Bulls 2021-22 Roster
Lonzo Ball – Alex Caruso – Ayo Dosunmu
Zach Lavine – Coby White – Javonte Green
DeMar DeRozan – Troy Brown
Patrick Williams – Lauri Markkanen
Nikola Vucevic – Tony Bradley – Marko SimonovicLooks like we should pencil Lauri Markkanen into the lineup now.
— Chicago Bulls Talk (@BullsSource) August 22, 2021
Beyond the starting lineup, Donovan has a lot to play with on the bench. The media’s idea of fit and Donovan’s idea of fit are going to be completely different. The players believe they can be good with one another and that’s all that matters. For the first time in quite some time, there’s excitement surrounding the Bulls. The players and the city are ready to go. Just like DeRozan, we will all continue to ignore what the media thinks about this team until they actually hit the floor.
