DeRozan earns second team All-NBA honors originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
DeMar DeRozan did a little bit of everything in his first season with the Chicago Bulls. He hit dramatic, back-to-back, game-winning 3-pointers on consecutive days for the first time in NBA history, authored a streak of eight straight 35-point games on 50 percent or better shooting that also hadn't been done before and posted the highest scoring average of his decorated 13-year career.
The feats didn't go unnoticed.
DeRozan earned second team All-NBA honors in voting unveiled Tuesday night, enjoying the weighty distinction for the third time in his career. DeRozan earned third team honors in 2016-17 and second team honors in 2017-18, his final two seasons with the Toronto Raptors franchise that drafted and employed him for nine seasons.
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Following a successful but quieter three seasons with the San Antonio Spurs, questions about his fit with Zach LaVine and the Bulls' price tag for acquiring him came out in full force when DeRozan signed a three-year, $85 million deal in a sign-and-trade for Thad Young, Al-Farouq Aminu, a first-round and two second-round picks. DeRozan silenced all the critics by averaging 27.9 points and helping lead the Bulls to their first playoff appearance since 2017.
"The expectations were pretty high. But I think he had one of the best years of his career," executive vice president Artūras Karnišovas said in late April. "The games that he had, there were so many. And he just impacts the guys around him."
Indeed, beyond DeRozan's on-court impact, the 13-year veteran drew praise for his ability to genuinely and humbly connect with teammates both young and old.
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“It’s just a testament to my hard work, taking care of myself physically. Just my love and passion for the game as I continue to get older and wanting to prove that you can still get better,” DeRozan said late in the season about his career year. "You get smarter with age. You understand how to take care of yourself. You understand how to manipulate the game. And as long as that passion is there, you can continue to get better.”
DeRozan also averaged 5.2 rebounds and 4.9 assists while playing in 76 games and shooting 50.4 percent. He ranked fifth in the league in scoring and drew two first-, 39 second- and 57 third-team votes to land on 98 of 100 ballots cast by media members and broadcasters. He joined Joel Embiid of the 76ers, Kevin Durant of the Nets, Steph Curry of the Warriors and Ja Morant of the Grizzlies on the second team.
The Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Celtics' Jayson Tatum, the Mavericks' Luka Doncic, the Suns' Devin Booker and the Nuggets' Nikola Jokic comprised the first team All-NBA.
Third-team members were Karl-Anthony Towns of the Timberwolves, LeBron James of the Lakers, Pascal Siakam of the Raptors, Chris Paul of the Suns and Trae Young of the Hawks.
Zach LaVine, who, like DeRozan, played in the All-Star game, drew no votes. By not making an All-NBA team, LaVine isn't eligible for a so-called "supermax" contract that would've taken his price tag in unrestricted free agency even higher. As it stands, LaVine is eligible to sign a five-year, roughly $212 million deal if the Bulls offer him a max contract.
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