DeMar DeRozan made history in the Bulls’ game against the Spurs. DeRozan became the seventh active player to score 20,000 or more career points. Amazingly, this great milestone was met with his former team when he hit a mid-range jump shot from the free throw line, a shot that has been his specialty throughout his career. After the shootout, Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich called a timeout to give DeRozan time to accomplish the feat. Despite DeRozan’s departure from the Spurs, it’s clear the two still have a lot of respect for each other.
All room @spurs
Gregg Popovich called time to celebrate DeMar DeRoza hitting 20K. pic.twitter.com/omznCMEtMn
— Bulls Talk (@NBCSBulls) October 29, 2022
Popovich had some high praise for DeMar when he said:
“(DeRozan) is a beautiful, wonderful person. One of the best I’ve ever coached. I still keep in touch with him. He’s just a sweet guy. “
DeRozan had this to say when asked about the possibility of having a shot at 20,000 career points with his former team.
“It was nothing but love to go back to the place where I spent some time, where I learned a lot, where it embraced me. And it was definitely a learning curve at an amazing time in my career – and Pop helped me a lot in my career. I think it’s good to be able to do it there.
DeRozan is one of the best players in the league and is proving it again this season.
DeMar DeRozan became the seventh active player to reach 20k career points
DeRozan’s debut into the season
DeMar DeRozan is picking up where he left off last year to start this young season. He is already averaging 26.2 points, 4.7 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game. Not to mention, he is shooting 52.4 percent from the field and has a player efficiency rating of 23.5, the highest rating of his career so far. He also currently has an offensive rating of 126 with a box plus/minus of 3.2. DeRozan led the Chicago Bulls to a three-game winning streak, however, the season is still very young and there are many. Still waiting to see Chicago in the postseason. Especially when you consider that the Bulls have a roster that includes the likes of Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic along with DeMar DeRozan.
DeMar DeRozan: Career Impact
DeMar DeRozan has established himself as one of the most lethal mid-range shooters of his generation. For his career, DeRozan shot 44.3 percent from 10-16 feet from the basket. He is averaging 39.9 percent from 16 feet to three-point range. In terms of career averages for conventional statistical averages, DeRozan averaged 20.8 points, 4.7 assists, 4.4 total rebounds per game and a field goal percentage of 46.5 percent. In terms of being a leader, he has always been an unsung hero in the three teams he has played for in his career. Although he didn’t have a ring, many, like Popovich, praised his work ethic. Remember, Kawhi Leonard was a fan favorite in Toronto before he came along. Now, he is cementing himself in the hearts of Chicago Bulls fans.
