(Audacy) Back in early August during the NBA offseason, some expected wing DeMar DeRozan to join star LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers in free agency. DeRozan was born and raised in Compton and played his college ball for USC, and he has acknowledged how appealing the idea was.
DeRozan opted instead to join the Bulls, who acquired him in a sign-and-trade with the Spurs. So far, it certainly seems like he made the right decision. While the Lakers continue to struggle without James, the Bulls are off to an impressive 10-4 start and have established themselves as one of the NBA's best teams early on.
DeRozan is a big reason for the Bulls' success, as he's averaging 26.9 points per game, which ranks third in the NBA through Monday. That includes him dropping 38 points in the Bulls' 121-103 win against the Lakers on Monday at the Staples Center, after which the 32-year-old DeRozan addressed criticism that he had heard from some in recent years -- that his game was "washed." It was added motivation for him to prove everyone wrong this season.
"I can go down the list of just being counted out, being looked over," DeRozan said. "So many chips that are on my shoulder that I carry. And just wanting to be a winner and wanting to enjoy this ride. We can't play this game forever, so I want to get as much as I can out of it.
"I never looked at age as being an issue. I never looked at it. People put the age limit on everything, and I never did. The way I worked, the way I take care of my body, the way I prepare, I knew what I was capable of doing. I just took different roads the last couple years of playing basketball, trying to do the right thing, figuring it out."
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The win Monday marked the Bulls' first victory against the Lakers since 2016. They also defeated the Clippers on Sunday, when DeRozan had another stellar scoring night with 35 points.
The past couple days were also a homecoming for Bulls guard Lonzo Ball, who like DeRozan was born in and played his college ball in Los Angeles. Ball was on fire Monday, knocking down seven 3-pointers and scoring 27 points. Ball believes the Bulls are one of the best teams in the NBA right now.
"We are one of the top teams in the NBA," Ball said. "Obviously, we still have a long way to go, a lot to improve on. But we're moving in the right direction."
At 10-4, Chicago sits in second place in the Eastern Conference while navigating a schedule that has been pretty tough.
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