Fan voting for the NBA All-Star Game is in full swing and DeMar DeRozan of the Chicago Bulls has received some good news.
DeRozan still sits atop the list of Eastern Conference guards, with a total of 2,973,854 votes – more than a million votes over the second-place finisher, Trae Young.
Golden State’s Stephen Curry, Brooklyn’s Kevin Durant, Lakers‘ LeBron James and Bulls‘ DeMar DeRozan continue to lead in the NBA’s second All-Star Game fan voting returns: pic.twitter.com/Ml9CPPdvLi
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 13, 2022
We shouldn’t be surprised by DeRozan’s impressive standing, he’s been having one of the best seasons of his career and has shot to the top of the league.
Not only is he the most valuable player on the Bulls, he’s in the running for the most valuable player in the entire NBA – and fans are taking note.
MVP Season
So far this season, DeRozan is averaging 26 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.7 assists a game.
And thanks to DeRozan and the help of a wonderful roster, the Bulls are now the number one team in the East with a record of 27-12.
They’re number one above the Brooklyn Nets and champion Milwaukee Bucks.
Even just months ago, no one would have predicted the Bulls would be doing this well and few people expected DeRozan to be this incredible.
It is important to remember that when DeRozan made his way to the Bulls, many people thought he was washed up and the best of his career was behind him.
His time with the Toronto Raptors and San Antonio Spurs was never as successful as fans had hoped and he wasn’t talked about the way people speak of LeBron James, Stephen Curry, or Kevin Durant.
But people are certainly talking about him in those ways now.
The fact that DeRozan has risen so high through the ranks after seasons of being counted out is why so many fans are loving him.
Not only is he doing such spectacular work, but he is also doing so when he’s been written off.
In many ways, this season is the story of an underdog coming back to impress everyone and prove the haters wrong – who doesn’t get fired up about that?
Can The Bulls Go All The Way?
The question now is how does this wonderful season for DeRozan and his Bulls end?
Do they make it all the way to the Finals or do they sputter out in the postseason?
Aside from the Nets and Bucks, if you were talking about nearly any other team in the East, the chance of them getting all the way to the Finals might seem like a stretch.
But Chicago has the coach, the players, and the experience to make it all the way.
DeMar DeRozan on the Bulls ceiling on NBA Today: “We ain’t gonna cut ourselves short. We feel like we can play with anybody and the goal is to compete for a championship.” pic.twitter.com/pvKqXu1lYH
— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) January 6, 2022
This isn’t a team full of a bunch of newcomers to the league – many of these guys have been working hard for years now.
Plus, they have a supreme team leader in DeRozan, a guy who is ready to show the entire world that this season isn’t a fluke.
There is a very strong chance that the Bulls can pass by the Nets and Bucks and make it all the way to the NBA Finals.
If so, it’ll be just more proof that DeRozan deserves all the fan love he’s getting.
NEXT: The Bulls Are An Entire Team With Something To Prove
