Even though a week might not seem like much, Chicago Bulls veteran DeMar DeRozan will require every day to relax, recover, and reenergize his body in preparation for the final stretch of the NBA season.
The Bulls are currently in ninth place in the Eastern Conference with a 26-29 record, but they are eager to move up in the rankings. Deebo is aware that in order to accomplish that, the squad needs to take the All-Star break to recover both physically and mentally.
Chicago’s mainstay
DeRozan has accepted the burden of being the Bulls’ rock despite his advanced age and physical wear and tear, averaging 22.7 points and 5.2 assists per game to lead the club in scoring and minutes played. Additionally, DeRozan has had to take on an even greater workload on both sides of the court as a result of many Bulls injuries in recent months. DeRozan remarked,
“The last two months has been kind of crazy for us with the injuries, dealing with all the noise on the outside with the trade rumors,” “Emotionally, physically, mentally, we took on a tall task the last 60 days, and we pushed through it. Now we can kind of breathe a little bit, gather our minds and emotions, and get Pat back, hopefully, and get some bodies back and kind of get rejuvenated for the next (27) games.”
Deebo going to work in the clutch.@NBCSChicago | @DeMar_DeRozan pic.twitter.com/jNcyx3Mqig
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) February 15, 2024
Waiting for the final swansong
The Indiana Pacers hold the sixth seed, which is four and a half games ahead of the Bulls. Although Deebo thinks their difficulties this season have prepared them for a run, reaching that point is a formidable undertaking.
Deebo ahead of the pack!@NBCSChicago | @DeMar_DeRozan pic.twitter.com/REdaOxNmgf
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) February 15, 2024
DeRozan said,
“To go through everything we went through showed we are right there. Fatigued, being beat up, coming back with fresh minds and bodies, we should be able to run off everything we need to run off,” “It’s been a toll on us all, playing with limited bodies, not knowing who was going to play, a lot of guys racking up a lot of minutes. Refresh the mind, get that eagerness and hunger to want to be back on the court. When we get back out there, we should be ready to go.”