DeMar DeRozan is always looking for new ways to improve his game.
After playing in the NBA for 14 seasons, DeRozan has many skills. He has moves that can trick experienced defenders, create space to shoot his midrange jumper, and steal the ball.
DeRozan understands that the game is evolving, and he is evolving with it during his third season with the Chicago Bulls. He has discovered new ways to adjust himself. He is adapting to a team that has shifted its focus to point guard Coby White.
Being a six-time All-Star, DeRozan approaches changes to his role with adaptability, which he believes has supported and defined his career.
DeRozan, 34, said, “I try to approach everything with an open mind. I never try to confuse myself mentally or get caught up in thinking, ‘Oh, I need to change this, I need to do that.’ If I approach things with an open mind, I can figure it out.”
It's still DeRozan, just an updated version.
He still leads the team in scoring by a small margin, but his 22 points per game are his lowest since coming to Chicago. He's attempting fewer shots from inside the arc, and he's taking the most shots behind the arc in his career. This change has allowed DeRozan to find and assist his teammates more, which has helped the Bulls' high-assist, high-movement offense.
“He’ll always be DeMar, but you can see that he’s trying to play a little different,” center Nikola Vučević said. “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. Him 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.
When DeRozan was traded to the San Antonio Spurs, he took on more of a lead-guard role under coach Gregg Popovich. In Chicago, his 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 just 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 similarly was asked 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.
Vučević took almost 18 months to accept and adjust to the new role. But it's been clear this season that the center has helped 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 a long time, when you're comfortable doing it that way. You have to step out of your comfort zone.”
On paper, this is not a standout season for DeRozan: He's not scoring as usual and may end a two-year run of being named an All-Star. But his role has been crucial in enabling a breakthrough season for White while keeping the Bulls afloat without LaVine.
And as he considers the decision of
whether to stay in Chicago on an extension , DeRozan believes this mindset is important in establishing a standard with the team — he's willing to adapt and develop his game for the team as long as it leads to wins.“In my career, whatever's asked of me, I try to do that to the best of my ability,” DeRozan said. “It reaches a point where it's not just about you, it's about the team. Whatever is asked from me from the team perspective, to improve us, to improve the guys, I'm all for it.”
DeMar DeRozan has never stopped seeking new ways to add to his game. After 14 seasons in the NBA, DeRozan has a wealth of options in his toolbox. And in his third season with the Chicago Bulls, DeRozan has discovered new ways to adjust himself to a roster that has refocused around point guard Coby White.
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