CLEVELAND — As he made the rounds in his second trip as an NBA All-Star, Zach LaVine didn’t hold back about his standing in the league with DeMar DeRozan: “We’re the best duo in the NBA.”
DeRozan agrees. So do the stats. The pair of Chicago Bulls All-Stars have quickly become one of the fiercest one-two punches in the league, averaging 52.7 points and 9.6 assists per game as they stretch defenses thin with their slash-heavy, fast-pace style of attack.
Beyond the scoring and the stats, DeRozan provides breath and balance for LaVine, who is finally in a healthy position as one half of a starring duo rather than the sole hero of a franchise.
“I’m glad to have another guy that’s been in these situations, these big-time games, where we haven’t been in that before,” LaVine said. “He’s been to the Eastern Conference Finals a couple of times and been in big moments. His calmness is something that’s always been impressive to me.’’
There’s always a lingering question with DeRozan, even amid the heights of his success — is he getting enough respect?
LaVine said the answer has always been ”yes” when it comes to DeRozan’s NBA colleagues. But casual national attention to the star and his lethal midrange game has often been belated and underwhelming.
This season, however, DeRozan has been hard to ignore. Whether it’s breaking Wilt Chamberlain records or nailing back-to-back buzzer beaters, DeRozan’s meteoric impact only builds the Bulls’ resume as they eye the postseason.
“He’s always been one of the more respected players in the NBA throughout the players and the guys that actually know it,” LaVine said. “But I think this year he’s put it onto a national broadcast where it shows just how good he is and how much he’s been working on his game.’’
As they compete for the top spot in the East, there’s been a shift in the way the Bulls are viewed throughout the NBA.
That change was palpable throughout All-Star weekend. For LaVine, it’s a relief after All-Star weekend in Chicago in 2020, where roaring chants of “Fire GarPax” — referring to the former front office duo of John Paxson and Gar Forman — drowned out his attempts to give an interview on ESPN.
This year, the Bulls are well-represented in Cleveland and enjoying their time in the spotlight. Ayo Dosunmu played in the Rising Stars game. LaVine competed in the 3-point competition, then joined DeRozan for Sunday night’s main event.
“It just shows the progression of the franchise and that we’re trending in the right direction,” LaVine said. “Obviously we’re all here for a reason.’’
LaVine said decision-making throughout the last year — from trading for Nikola Vučević to signing Tristan Thompson — bolstered his confidence in the seriousness of the Bulls front office.
The results have been immediate. Fellow All-Star and former Bull Jimmy Butler said that’s the DeRozan effect. When the Bulls announced his signing, it put the rest of the league on notice: this team is serious about contending.
“I think it’s just understood,” DeRozan said. “You see it. Especially my peers, we all have respect for one another. Going to Chicago, they knew I wasn’t just going to wear a Chicago Bulls jersey and get some free Jordans. I was going to make something happen.”
Through a stressful year of injuries and COVID-19, the Bulls have often struck an earnestly serious tone this season. But All-Star weekend gave DeRozan and LaVine a rare opportunity to relax.
Sunday’s game also gave way to friendly competition. DeRozan and LaVine don’t guard each other often. They’ve played pick-up here and there, but had few opportunities to truly compete one-on-one since becoming teammates.
Both players said they would have preferred to be teammates in order to share All-Star weekend together. But when they line up Sunday night as opponents, LaVine said his goal is to lock down DeRozan — by any means necessary.
“I’m fouling the hell out of him,” LaVine said.
Above all else, All-Star weekend is a chance for players to take a break. LaVine and DeRozan are the first to say just how much they needed it.
In a few days, they’ll return to the newfound normalcy in Chicago, where trophies and titles feel tangible again. But DeRozan is quick to emphasize that all of this — the wins and the records, the All-Star accolades and the MVP chants — is a product of a philosophy he and LaVine set at the start of the year.
“I told Zach when I came — you win, everything comes,” DeRozan said. “Only thing that matters is winning. Everything else that you could dream of or ask for will come. You don’t even got to worry about that. It’s gonna be hard, but if we really want it, damn everything else. It’s all about winning.”
