Chicago Bulls guard DeMar DeRozan surprised the spectators at the Bears facility by showing a hidden quarterback talent. As he spent the day with fellow teammates Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic, DeRozan grabbed everyone’s attention with a lovely spiral that secured a touchdown.
The Bears, who had just defeated the Washington Commanders, experienced a moment of incredible agility and skill by the Bulls star. LaVine and Vucevic both were clearly impressed by this unknown talent of DeRozan’s.
DeMar DeRozan channeling his inner QB1 with the Chicago Bears 😲pic.twitter.com/znNeYYRDKL
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) October 7, 2023
However, this impressive throw sparked opinions among fans. Some joked that DeRozan’s arm strength and precision is a match to that of the Bears’ own quarterback, Justin Fields. But while DeRozan might have surprised many with his football skills, we should be looking at his basketball shooting skills, especially as the new season approaches.
DeMar DeRozan shooting stats last season
With the changing dynamics of basketball, focusing more on three-point shots, there is a lot of anticipation surrounding DeRozan’s role in the upcoming season. The Chicago Bulls, under new strategic decisions, aim to change their offensive approach, dealing more in three-pointers. This brings DeRozan into the spotlight due to his unimpressive three-pointer stats from the previous season.
Last season, DeRozan made only 142 attempts from beyond the arc. Additionally, he averaged 50.4% shooting from the field and 32.4% from three-point shooting. While these figures are good, the anticipation is that these numbers, especially his three-point attempts and efficiency will see an increase this year, providing a potential solution to the Bulls’ recent offensive challenges.
Training Camp Day 1 ✅@DeMar_DeRozan 📸 pic.twitter.com/RCaV0Hegje
— BullsMuse (@BullsMuse_) October 4, 2023
The team in the past two seasons faced criticism and strategic hurdles due to the absence of consistent three-point shooters. Their opponents often used this weakness by clogging the paint and making it difficult for the Bulls’ offense.
“I know there’s a big deal of it, like, I don’t shoot enough [3s], but it’ll come, I’m not even going to think about it,” DeRozan said in response to the changing needs of the game and his team. “It’s something that I’ve definitely worked on, I know I can do, I just never made a conscious effort to do. But the style of play, understanding how we want to play, whatever is needed from me I’m going to be ready for it and do it, no problem.”
DeRozan is more known for his midrange skills, he averaged just 1.5 three-point shots per game in his 14-year career but he’s used to shooting from a long distance. During his time with the Toronto Raptors, he made nearly four three-point attempts per game, with a 31% success rate. DeRozan’s adaptability could be an advantage for the Bulls.
