DeMar DeRozan has never stopped searching for new aspects to add to his game.
After 14 seasons in the NBA, DeRozan has many options in his skills. He has a pump fake to trick even experienced defenders, a shimmy move to create space for his midrange jumper, and a sneaky move to steal the ball.
But DeRozan is aware that the game is changing, and he is changing with it. In his third season with the Chicago Bulls, DeRozan has found new ways to adapt himself. has found new ways to adapt himself to a roster that has shifted its focus to point guard Coby White.
A six-time All-Star, DeRozan approaches any change to his role with adaptability, which he believes has supported and defined his career.
“I try to approach everything with an open mind,” said DeRozan, 34. “I never really try to confuse myself or get caught up in thinking, ‘Oh, I’ve got to change this, I’ve got to do that.’ If I go into things with an open mind, I can figure it out.”
It’s not a new DeRozan — just a slightly updated version.
He still leads the team in scoring by a small margin, but his 22 points per game entering Saturday’s 125-96 victory against the Memphis Grizzlies are his lowest since coming to Chicago. He’s attempting only 6.7 shots from inside the arc — his fewest since the 2014-15 season in Toronto. And while DeRozan will never abandon the midrange game that made him stand out, he’s taking the most shots behind the arc — 2.8 per game — in his career.
This change has allowed DeRozan to find and assist teammates more, with his highest rate of assists (5.3 per game) since joining the Bulls. This has helped to enhance the high-assist, high-movement offense the Bulls hope to succeed with.
“He’ll always be DeMar, but he’s trying to play a little different,” said center Nikola Vučević. “He’s not just another scorer. This year especially, he’s been letting some of the other guys lead the way and taking over later. Being the leader that he is and having that experience and confidence in himself, he’s able to build that same experience and confidence in others.”
DeRozan believes it’s important to approach the game with a simple principle: He always has more to learn.
This is especially important for players as they progress in their career, losing the athleticism that might have powered their early success, especially in the air around the rim.
For DeRozan, this mindset was crucial when he was traded to the San Antonio Spurs, where he took on a lead-guard role under coach Gregg Popovich. In Chicago, DeRozan’s growth has been more subtle.
“By the time I got here, I was 12 years in the league,” DeRozan said. “By the time I came here, I was fine tuning on and off the court, as a professional, as a basketball player. I’m just completely rounding out my whole game, personality, understanding and IQ.”
DeRozan isn’t alone in this transition. Vučević also had to adapt his game from a primary scorer to a distributor with a high shot volume while taking two fewer 3-point attempts per game than he did with the Orlando Magic.
It took Vučević almost 18 months to accept and adjust to the new role. But this season, it's clear that the center is helping the Bulls offensively.
“You value it more as you get older,” Vučević said. “You understand how hard it is to change when you're older, when you've been doing something for so long, when you're comfortable doing it that way. You have to step out of your comfort zone.”
On paper, this hasn’t been a great season for DeRozan: He's not scoring as much as usual and may not make the All-Star team for a third year. But his role has been crucial in enabling White to have a breakout season while keeping the Bulls competitive without LaVine.
And as he considers the choice of whether to stay in Chicago on an extension, DeRozan believes this mindset is important in setting a standard with the team—being willing to adapt and improve his game for the team as long as it leads to victories.
“In my career, whatever’s asked of me, I try to do that to the best of my ability,” DeRozan said. “It gets to a point where it’s not just about you, it’s about the team. Whatever is asked from me from the team aspect, to make us better, to make the guys better, I’m all for it.”
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