DeMar DeRozan is a Chicago Bull. The Bulls were able to work out a sign-and-trade, and now Bulls fans are making wild comparisons to Michael Jordan.
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Chicago has been very active in free agency this offseason, looking to improve their roster however they can. Their first splash of free agency came when they pulled off a sign-and-trade with the New Orleans Pelicans to pick up Lonzo Ball.
Now, they’ve made yet another big move by picking up DeMar DeRozan in another sign-and-trade. This Chicago Bulls team is vastly different from the one that played last year, and it’s safe to say that they have improved. Things are looking upwards for the first time in a long time for Chicago.
DeMar DeRozan and the Bulls are closing in on a three-year, $85 million-plus deal, per @ShamsCharania
From B/R x @AmericanExpress pic.twitter.com/o2q3zTniNt
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 3, 2021
Bulls Fans Overreact And Compare DeMar DeRozan To Michael Jordan: How Will DeRozan Help Zach Lavine And The Bulls?
The shooting guard position is a storied one in Chicago history. Michael Jordan, perhaps the greatest basketball player of all time, played the position for the Bulls during his NBA career.
Now, whenever the Bulls pick up any shooting guard or have any shooting guard that plays well, fans overreact and joke around about comparisons to Michael Jordan.
It happened with Jimmy Butler, Zach Lavine, and now DeMar DeRozan. For a fanbase that hasn’t had anything to celebrate in a long time, DeRozan’s signing was the perfect catalyst to set off a new chain of comparisons:
He’s the greatest shooting guard to ever play in Chicago
— OVO Goon (@OVOLeBron) August 3, 2021
There is genuine excitement around the Bulls this year as along with DeRozan, Lonzo Ball, Zach Lavine, and Nikola Vucevic are sure to make the Bulls playoffs contenders.
DeRozan gives the Bulls another scoring threat off the perimeter. Last year, DeRozan averaged a solid 21.6 points per game on 49.5% shooting from the field.
DeRozan also had the best playmaking year of his career as he dished out a career high 6.9 assists per game for the Spurs. For a Chicago team that struggled to find consistent scoring and playmaking last year, DeRozan’s skillset will be very valuable.
DeRozan is sure to be an instant starter alongside Lavine, and the two will look to form a strong connection in hopes of the Bulls first playoff appearance since 2017.
All in all, the Bulls new management under GM Arturas Karnisovas has shown a far greater commitment to building a winning roster and making good personnel decisions as opposed to the Gar-Pax regime from before. Chicago will be an exciting team to watch next year as they’ll aim to compete against the Eastern Conference’s elite.
