Why 2021-22 was the ‘perfect’ season for DeMar DeRozan
The regular season DeMar DeRozan delivered in 2021-2022 was one of the most exciting campaigns in recent NBA history. Though his Chicago Bulls did not advance beyond the first round of the playoffs, DeRozan’s individual accomplishments and accolades can not be neither ignored nor forgotten.
The long-time Raptor and short-term Spur joined Chicago in the summer of 2021, as part of a rag-tag effort to re-energize the stagnant Bulls. DeRozan’s steady leadership was just what the doctor order, and his Herculean offense helped the Bulls return to relevance. DeRozan called it a “perfect” season.
DeRozan won’t win the MVP award, and the Bulls decidedly did not win the title. That doesn’t mean DeMar DeRozan’s 2021-22 regular season stats aren’t worth celebrating. Let’s take a look at the former USC Trojan’s epic year:
The numbers
With thirteen years of service in the NBA, we’ve long known DeRozan is a certified offensive weapon. This year he took his game to new heights.
DeMar averaged 27.9 points per game, the best mark of his career, with a 52.1 eFG%, the second best mark of his career. He also shot the three pretty well and played a key role in sharing the ball and crashing the glass.
In February, however, DeRozan went positively nuclear. On Feb 5 the former All-Star went for 45 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists. He was just getting started, and over the course of the next seven games, DeMar was unstoppable.
DeMar DeRozan scored 35 points or more on 50% shooting or better for eight straight games. The only other player to perform at such a high clip in league history is Wilt Chamberlain, who managed this feat for six games. (He did do it twice, however.)
It was an unbelievable stretch, and deservedly put DeRozan squarely in the MVP conversation. And though he and the Bulls cooled off a little down the stretch, he ended the year as statistically one of the league’s most dominant offensive powers.
The moments
DeMar DeRozan has hit a game-tying or game-winning in the final ten seconds of a game eight different times during his career. During the 2021-22 season, he became the first player to do so in consecutive games.
DeMar DeRozan won it with a #TissotBuzzerBeater on back-to-back nights.
Submit your IN-ARENA or AT-HOME video angles of the game winners to possibly get featured on @NBA!
SEND HERE: https://t.co/F0LB1UXuD4 pic.twitter.com/X6um7REKfM
— NBA (@NBA) January 2, 2022
On Jan 31, DeMar launched an insane game winning three, technically only the second buzzer beater of his career, and the first buzzer beater by a Bull since Jimmy Butler in 2016. Zach LaVine called the shot the “New Year’s Heave.”
The next day it was DeRozan again who saved the Bulls, extending Chicago’s win streak to seven games at the time. Deebo was king of the NBA mountain.
These two game-winning shots were among the highlights of DeRozan’s impressive 2021-22 regular season. But the entire year – despite Chicago’s many setbacks – was a triumph for DeRozan and the Bulls.
The future
Chicago won 46 games in 21-22, the best mark since the Tom Thibodeau days. For once in a long while, Bulls basketball was relevant, and the club has plenty to look forward to.
Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso are still under contract. These two helped revolutionize the way Chicago plays defense, and when healthy, will allow the Bulls to settle some unfinished business next year. Patrick Williams and Ayo Dosunmu should also continue to grow next season, too.
Zach LaVine is a free agent, and his future is unclear at the time of this writing. If Chicago can lock him up, the team would have a young, athletic core for years to come.
And then there’s DeRozan. He’s signed with Chicago through 2024. Deebo was an instant favorite in the locker room and among fans. Despite the unceremonious end to the 21-22 season, there’s a lot to celebrate and look forward to for Bulls fans.
