CHICAGO (670 The Score) – Beyond a rough four-game losing streak that has dropped them to 26-31 and down to 11th place in the East, the Bulls are also dealing with a key injury problem.
All-Star forward DeMar DeRozan checked himself out with 1:02 remaining in the Bulls' 100-91 loss to the Magic on Monday evening at the United Center because his right leg continues to cause him discomfort. DeRozan missed Chicago's loss at Memphis last Tuesday due to what the team called right hip soreness, but he's being bothered by more than just that. DeRozan sat out three games in January due to a right quad strain, which he indicated began bothering him in December. The effects of that and his hip soreness are piling up.
"It probably happened 10 games before the Boston game," DeRozan said, referencing how he exited early from the Bulls' loss to the Celtics on Jan. 9. "It was just something that I was playing on. I thought it was like a knee contusion or whatever is was. I don't know. It's a weird feeling. I've never felt nothing like this. Because when I'm sitting doing nothing, I don't feel anything. It's just when I do anything to work that muscle in my leg, it's just a lot of discomfort. I'm just trying to figure that out and get that situated the best I can."
DeRozan admitted after the Bulls' loss Monday that his hip and leg have been worse than he previously let on.
"It's been bad, to be honest with you," DeRozan said. "It's been bad. I've never been one to complain or make any type of excuses. It's just been something I've just been dealing with for a while."
DeRozan plans to get further evaluated Tuesday, when the Bulls will hold a practice. Chicago will play at Indiana on Wednesday, and DeRozan didn't yet know if he'd be sidelined or capable of playing through discomfort again. The Bulls then host the Bucks on Thursday before being off for the All-Star break.
"I don't know," DeRozan said. "I'm going to get it checked out tomorrow, just to make sure everything is all right and go from there, just get a better idea of exactly what it is. I've been playing on it for a while. I just want to get a better idea of exactly what it is."
DeRozan averaged 26.5 points while shooting 51.9% in 11 games in January despite dealing with the quad injury. He scored 19 points and shot 8-of-20 in the Bulls' loss Monday. He's averaging just 16.3 points on 44.2% shooting in his past three games since sitting out one contest with right hip soreness.
"I'm going to figure it out," DeRozan said when asked about his rhythm on the floor. "Just dealing with this whole leg situation, it's just been tough to get explosion on a lot of my shots and everything. Just dealing with the discomfort or the pain and all that. Like I said, there ain't no excuse for me. I'm going to figure it out one way or another. It's going to come. It is what it is, but that's why I was just (careful late in the game Monday). A critical time is coming up, with the rest, with the break and everything. As soon as I get back to myself, the rhythm part will come."
As of Monday evening, DeRozan still planned on playing in the All-Star Game, which will be held Sunday in Salt Lake City.
"Knock on wood, if it's not something that's broke or torn or something, I'm going to figure out how to go out there and play every single night," DeRozan said. "It's all about tolerance of how much I can deal with. (The medical staff) trusts me with it. Tonight was one of those moments where I just had to tell them what it was, what was bothering me."
Cody Westerlund is a sports editor for 670TheScore.com and covers the Bulls. Follow him on Twitter @CodyWesterlund.
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