DeMar DeRozan embraces balance as a playmaker to fuel improved Chicago Bulls offense: ‘I just read whatever the game gives me’

Ahead of DeMar DeRozan’s first shoot-around with the San Antonio Spurs in 2018, coach Gregg Popovich introduced his team’s newest player as a point guard.

DeRozan’s face isn’t one that conceals surprise, so he’s certain Popovich saw the way he balked at the introduction. Up until that point, DeRozan had seen himself as one type of player: a scorer. He wasn’t even a guard half the time, sometimes slotting into the small forward position for the Raptors. But Popovich delivered the new title with a smile.

It was a challenge: Figure it out, kid.

DeRozan never fully transitioned into a point guard in San Antonio. But over his three years under Popovich, he underwent a transformation. His average scoring dropped a point or two. His average assists leaped, topping out at 6.9 per game in 2020-21.

As a result, DeRozan felt he became a more complete player.

“Up to that point, I had such a score, score, score mentality,” DeRozan told the Tribune. “Coach Pop gave me a different perspective on how to be more of a complete offensive threat, not just scoring but being able to make your teammates better.”

That’s the version of DeRozan who first came to Chicago in 2021. But the transformation wasn’t complete. This season has showcased DeRozan’s continued eagerness to develop as a playmaker who feeds the rest of his team before devouring fourth quarters.

The Bulls lost the second of back-to-back games against the Miami Heat 118-116 on Saturday — Jimmy Butler hit a jumper at the buzzer for the win — dropping the Bulls to 10-17 overall and 5-3 in their last eight. DeRozan’s playmaking has begun to eclipse his scoring in importance for the offense.

For the second season in a row, DeRozan leads the Bulls in assists. He’s averaging 5.3 and doing so while averaging 1.3 turnovers — the lowest since his rookie season when he was spending nearly one-third fewer minutes on the court. And as the Bulls kickstarted their offense over the last seven games, DeRozan’s average assists rose to 7.2 per game as he leans into playmaking to catalyze the offense.

Sometimes those moments are flashy. DeRozan has developed a knack for leaping 360-degree passes, driving hard to the rim only to launch himself skyward and corkscrew around a defender while flipping the ball back out to the perimeter. But often, they’re quieter — feeding Nikola Vučević on a mismatch, making the extra pass to give Ayo Dosunmu a wide-open look in the corner.

There’s always a payoff to the strategy — the more DeRozan can spread the floor in the first three quarters, the easier it is to unlock his scoring in the final stretch of the game. But for DeRozan, embracing a more supportive role has shifted the way he approaches scoring.

“I don’t get caught up in it,” DeRozan said. “I don’t need to go out there and score 30. There will be games where that happens. There will be games where that’s not called for and it’s easy to pass. I just go out there and read whatever the game gives me.”

That outlook is reflective of DeRozan’s best performance of the season Monday against the Milwaukee Bucks, when he balanced a 41-point scoring performance with 11 assists.

It’s no coincidence DeRozan’s playmaking surge comes at a time when the Bulls are thriving off the success of their youngest players. The team’s recent run has been fueled by the hot shooting of Coby White and improved offensive contributions from Dosunmu and Patrick Williams.

But since opening day, DeRozan has been intent on supplying all three youngsters with plenty of opportunities — and laying into them when they hesitate to shoot. The result has been an immediate confidence boost for those players.

“When you’re playing well, your confidence is going to come from there,” coach Billy Donovan said. “But when you’re not having really good moments, you’re not playing as well as you’d like, to have somebody of that caliber raise you up and lift you up and talk to you — it’s more impactful that way.”

DeRozan takes joy in this part of the game. His investment in the young core of the team has always been visible off the court — driving to Champaign for Dosunmu’s college jersey retirement, hosting Williams in the summers, designating Dalen Terry as his son.

That same care extends into the way DeRozan plays.

“That’s the evolution,” DeRozan said. “They’re growing, understanding what’s needed of them, developing. As one of the older guys on the team, I want to bring the best out of them as well because without them, our success wouldn’t mean nothing.”