DeMar DeRozan ripped out the hearts of Golden State Warriors fans Thursday night, and all Steve Kerr could do was applaud.
The Golden State Warriors head coach only tipped his cap to DeRozan and the Chicago Bulls following his team’s 125-122 loss. Sure, the Warriors lost Stephen Curry to a twisted ankle, Draymond Green fouled out and Brandin Podziemski shockingly botched a potential game-tying layup, but Kerr made no excuses. The former Bull and multi-champion chose to offer his flowers to his opponent.
“Give them credit. DeMar made the and-one, I thought that was the key shot in the final minutes, Kerr told reporters.
DeMar is one of the great farmers in the game. He’s been doing it for 10 years. It’s a great experience for all our kids… I had no problem with our effort, our execution, we were just dominated. Chicago was great. They played well. Watching them on tape before that game, I was pretty worried just because you could see the strength they were playing with and the confidence. And they deserved it.
He is right. DeRozan’s closing ability is among the league’s elite, and it’s been on full display over the last handful of games. The forward has scored a total of 45 points over the Chicago Bulls’ last three fourth quarters, putting him comfortably above any other player in the league. He also reached that mark by shooting 66.7 percent from the field with a 12-13 performance from the free throw line.
On the season as a whole, DeRozan now ranks third in points scored in the fourth quarter. If he doesn’t drop any lower at the end of the regular season, it will be his third straight season finishing in the top 3 in this category. He is also on course to finish a third consecutive season among the top two scorers in decisive matches, by NBA statistics.
But DeRozan wasn’t the only one to compliment Kerr. The entire Chicago Bulls team has played very inspired basketball since their ugly defeat against the Detroit Pistons. Again, things surely went according to plan in some of those close games, but they also put themselves in a position to take advantage of those opportunities. There’s a growing level of confidence and freedom in the way the Bulls approach each game, and even I have to admit they’ve earned these props from one of the best head coaches in the league.
It’s been a slow build, but the Chicago Bulls have probably been a lot better than you think for about halfway through this season. They hold a 25-18 record since December 1, which is the 9th highest winning percentage in the NBA. The team’s net rating is also in the middle, at 15th place.
Of course, I’m not trying to argue that this should change how we view the long-term cap on this roster. The truth is they remain 9th in the Eastern Conference and should finish below .500 for the second straight season. If the Bulls want to accomplish anything other than being a perennial Play-In tournament team, choosing a new path is always crucial.
At the same time, when was the last time we heard a head coach express that a game with the Bulls “worried” them? Some positives can be taken from this statement, especially considering who the main contributors have been over the past few weeks.
While DeMar DeRozan has done miraculous things, Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu have been key pieces of the puzzle (more on Dosunmu’s development as a scorer here). Hell, we also saw signs of life from guys like Julian Phillips and Onuralp Bitim. A big part of what made the Chicago Bulls an increasingly difficult matchup as the season went on was the growth of their young talent. And in a season that’s been lost for some time, that’s about the best win you can get.
More on the Recent Chicago Bulls victories here …
