Despite all the initial doubts about their fit together, the new-look Chicago Bulls have gotten off to their best start in years. Zach LaVine finally got the help he needed to improve the Bulls, as the franchise acquired DeMar DeRozan, Lonzo Ball, Nikola Vucevic, and even Alex Caruso in 2021.
Now, the Bulls seem like a legitimate threat, and almost a shoo-in for the playoff this season. This has been a massive turnaround for the Bulls, who had been floundering for the better part of the last decade. The offensive firepower they have now is arguably the biggest reason for this improvement.
DeMar DeRozan has found a new lease on life in the NBA with Chicago. After leaving Toronto, DeRozan had floundered in San Antonio, with many believing that his best days were behind him. But he has proven everyone wrong and been one of the NBA’s most offensively potent players so far this season.
In fact, just based on numbers, DeRozan is the most clutch player in the NBA at the moment. DeRozan currently leads the NBA in points scored in the fourth quarter with 126 points scored in 18 games, averaging 7 points during fourth quarters. Right behind him on the list is Zach LaVine with 111.
Reading this stat will make Bulls fans incredibly happy. Both DeRozan and Zach LaVine have been playing some of the best basketball of their careers, and have been scoring at a high rate. In fact, DeRozan recently broke Michael Jordan’s Bulls record for most points scored in the first 16 games played for the team.
Going forward, the hope is that this new-look Bulls can finally break the franchise’s playoff duck from the last few years, and make a solid run in the postseason. But as things stand, they are looking like a good selection for a dark horse team to win it all this year.
