Zach Lowe and Bill Simmons host two of arguably the top five NBA podcasts in the world. Often discussing hot topics, trade deadline murmurs, all-star standings, and playoff outlooks, they recently did a deep dive into the Eastern Conference All-Star roster. Upon arrival on the Chicago Bulls, two names were brought to the surface, Zach Lavine and DeMar DeRozan. Having both made multiple all-star teams before, including last year, things have been a bit different during the 2022-23′ campaign. These two pillars of the NBA media had some non-wavering responses when it came to whether or not the two Chicago Bulls’ stars were deserving of the nod again this year.
Too Slow Of A Start For Lavine
The first name brought up in the podcast was Zach Lavine. A two-time all-star selection, signing a max contract this past offseason, fresh off of knee surgery over the summer, he hasn’t quite fit the bill of an all-star for long enough this year to get the nomination.
“Zach Lavine, not an All-Star, do we agree this year?”…”Oh God No, no, no, I haven’t liked some of the stuff I saw with him.”
Zach Lowe to Bill Simmons on ‘The Bill Simmons Podcast”
They both continue to say that in fairness to Lavine, he’s back to his usual self as of late and has put up some “monster games” in Lowe’s terms. While the recent hot stretch is refreshing for the Windy City faithful, they have a point regarding the rest of his season.
In December, Lavine had a shooting line of 52% from the field, 42% from three-point range, and 82% from the foul line and was sitting at four rebounds and assists per game. He also only averaged 24.5 points and under three three-pointers made per game. In November, he was even worse. Averaging a split of 43/46/84 while scoring 22.5 points alongside three rebounds and assists per contest are not all-star caliber numbers. Since being labeled “back to normal,” he’s shooting a blistering 51/47/85 split while scoring 30.2 points per game, with five rebounds and four assists. With DeRozan going down, he’s also shouldering more of the load offensively the past two games and, over the entire month, is making nearly five threes a game at an unheard-of rate of 47%.
If Lavine could have recovered a little quicker from his off-season surgery and found his stride earlier in the year, he would be in a prime position for his third straight all-star appearance. As these two media members with all-star ballots put it, he hasn’t been there for enough of the season to warrant a roster spot with the best of the league.
“Better” DeRozan Than Ever
The second Chicago Bull featured on the podcast was DeMar DeRozan. At 33 years old and having one of the best seasons of his career, these two wholeheartedly agreed that he’s a lock for this year’s showcase in Utah.
“DeRozan having a better year than last year. Durable yet again, two games from 1,000, 36 minutes a game, which I appreciate.”…”DeMar is on my five guys I felt pretty confident in list”
Bill Simmons and Zach Lowe on ‘The Bill Simmons Podcast’
Leading Chicago in points, assists, minutes, games played, and assist-to-turnover ratio, DeRozan is having yet another career-defining season. Ending in the top five for the MVP award last season, he’s putting up even better numbers this year. Having already nailed a few game-winners in the previous few weeks and leading the entire NBA in clutch scoring, DeRozan deserves a spot among the league’s elites. Although the two fan-voting returns have him sitting as the last Eastern Conference guard to earn a slot, the assumption is he’ll be third or fourth when the media, players, and coaches add their input.
The only thing that could deter DeRozan from the all-star squad is his recent injury to his quadriceps. Leaving the Boston game early on Monday night and missing last night’s contest against the Wizards, he hinted, “If I leave a game, it’s something serious,” but also later noted that he and the training staff deemed the injury “day-to-day.” Unless he misses over ten games, which is unlikely he will miss more than a few, the general thought is that it will not affect his all-star status.
There are no surprises here, but it’s good to hear that the national media acknowledges that DeRozan is a solidified star and that Lavine has returned to his usual self. Bulls fans clinging to the Lavine all-star campaign might have to swallow that he’s done ‘too little, too late.’ While these two don’t have any final or official say, they are nationally recognized and respected NBA personalities who each carry their own all-star ballot. This is a pretty solid indicator of how most of the votes within the NBA circles will look through the lens of the Chicago Bulls. Is DeRozan a lock, does Lavine deserve a late consideration, or are these two spot-on with their assessments?
