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Two of the Chicago Bulls' star players are not seeing eye-to-eye, which is being magnified by an overall disappointing season in the Windy City, according to a report from The Athletic.
Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan were both named All-Stars last season and the Bulls qualified for the playoffs. Coming into 2022-2023, the organization hoped to build on last season's momentum and make an even deeper run this year.
But things have not gone as planned. After 30 games the Bulls have a 12-18 record.
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Zach Lavine, left, and DeMar Derozan of the Chicago Bulls face the Kings on March 14, 2022, at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. (Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)
Two-time All-Star center Nikola Vucevic returns to Chicago for his second year with the team. Aside from the on-court drama between DeRozan and LaVine, injuries have played a part in the team's turbulent season.
Point guard Lonzo Ball has been sidelined with a knee injury that appears to linger, which makes it even more critical the Bulls' other two star wing players mesh their on-court games.
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According to The Athletic, the Bulls have had several team meetings in an effort to work through DeRozan and LaVine's issues. It is unclear how much impact, if any, those meetings have had.
Publicly, DeRozan and LaVine seem to respect one another. In February, during the 2022 NBA All-Star Weekend, the teammates declared themselves the best duo in the league.
The pair is believed to continue to have a good personal relationship, but on the court they seem strained. Some of the tension may stem from the struggle to find the best way to blend their respective styles of play.
"I think everybody goes through ups and downs, just like every team does," LaVine told The Athletic on Tuesday when asked about the situation. "Obviously if we’re not winning games, not everybody’s going to be happy. It’s not going to look as good as it was before. It’s all glitter and show when you’re winning games."
The former UCLA Bruins standout went on to acknowledge that some level of turmoil does exist, but he wanted to take a one-day-at-a-time approach.
"But when you’re losing games and you’re trying to do the same things, it’s turmoil. Everybody has their right to their own opinion. For me, I keep my head down. I work on my game and try to help my team. I help try to lead the team. That’s where I stand. I just try to take it day by day and evaluate how we’re doing."
DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine of the Bulls during the Toronto Raptors game on March 21, 2022, at United Center in Chicago. (Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images)
Even more, multiple league sources and sources close to the organization who were granted anonymity because they are not authorized to speak publicly on team dynamics claim a sense of disconnect exists between DeRozan and LaVine.
LaVine's contract situation might be playing a role in the reported disconnect. He was drafted in the first round by the Minnesota Timberwolves but has been with the Bulls since 2017.
In July, LaVine signed a five-year max contract worth up to $215 million.
"There’s a certain level of frustration in people trying to figure out what we can do to help right the ship," LaVine told The Athletic. "I think with the players that we have, we try to put it on each other to right the ship. We have those type of guys, those type of mentalities where each of us have been number one options on a team before and then we all come together collectively."
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Last season, DeRozan, LaVine, and the Bulls appeared to be in sync. The team put together a 46-36 record, which earned them the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference and ended a four-year playoff drought.
A year later the state of the franchise looks drastically different, even with the return of 12 players from last season's roster. Ball's absence should not be understated. The point guard's ability to set things up for wing players like DeRozan and LaVine is certainly valuable.
When Ball was available, the Bulls went 22-13 but are 24-23 without him in the lineup. It is unclear when Ball could return to action.
Even Billy Donovan's aptitude as a head coach is seemingly being questioned within the locker room amid the team's unfavorable win-loss record.
Donovan is in his third season at the helm in Chicago and he signed a contract extension before this season tipped off. Now, Donovan will be tasked with figuring out how to optimize DeRozan and LaVine on the court.
In September, Arturas Karnišovas, the Bulls' executive vice president of basketball operations, said this year's team was built to be even better than last season's.
"What we want to see is obviously improvement," he said. "Once you get to the playoffs and have healthy bodies, I think a lot of things can happen. So I think we have to do better than last year. When you get to the playoffs, as always, things happen. A certain team is missing one or two key players and you can get by a round. So those are the expectations."
But the Bulls did not have a smooth start to the season. LaVine was on the bench instead of on the court for the first two games of the year. The team shrugged off the situation by saying the shooting guard was scheduled to sit out for injury management reasons.
LaVine did have a procedure on his knee during the offseason. He likely could have had surgery during the season but decided to wait until after the Bulls were done competing in the playoffs.
Meanwhile, DeRozan is only in his second year in Chicago after spending four years with the San Antonio Spurs. DeRozan had a breakout season last year and became the go-to player in late-game situations. He even received an MVP vote.
Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan of the Chicago Bulls prior to the Hawks game at State Farm Arena on Dec. 11, 2022, in Atlanta. (Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
DeRozan has averaged 27.3 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.9 assists while shooting 50.4% from the field since he has joined the Bulls.
"Now is the time to understand how we can make this work for the whole group. I haven’t played with a talent at that wing position like Zach. He’s one of a kind. I want to put everything I’ve been through in my career, share that with him and win together," DeRozan said last October.
DeRozan could sign a four-year max deal next summer, but the jury remains out on the organization's willingness to extend him.
LaVine pushed back against the idea that his performance this season has been impacted by his contract and the expectations of the team entering this year.
"It hasn’t weighed (on) anything for me. I don’t understand how that gets put into context," LaVine told The Athletic. "Just because you sign a deal, it’s supposed to be added weight to it? I think there’s added weight each time you step on the court if you don’t perform or you don’t play the right way. But everybody’s open to their own opinion.
"I’ve been improving each and every day I’ve been coming off an injury. If you’re losing, you don’t see that. Obviously, it’s frustrating when you are losing and they’re all these other narratives coming out. It’s not coming from us. It’s coming from outside sources. It’s just what you’ve got to deal with. It comes with the territory. I understand that. I think the team understands that. It doesn’t bug me. I think it’s something that just comes with it."
Donovan recently challenged his star players, saying a shift in mindset was needed.
"We’ve got to get out of the mindset of worrying about scoring and how’s it going offensively and realize the ball scores," Donovan said on Sunday. "And if the ball’s moved and passed whoever scores, scores."
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DeRozan and LaVine were able to establish success in their first season together last year. The duo will need to get on the same page sooner rather than later before this year becomes a lost season.
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