It's hard to envision anyone thinking DeMar DeRozan could play the type of basketball he is now at the start of the season. He's been simply sensational for this Chicago Bulls squad, and he's a big reason why they're having so much success right now.

Given how well he's been playing, some have speculated that he should be named the league's MVP. Because of the bounce back he is having here after a down season with the San Antonio Spurs, and because he is 32 years old, he deserves some credit for what he is now doing.

Obviously, winning the award against probably the top three players in the world in Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid, and Nikola Jokic will not be easy, but DeMar DeRozan has the stats to do it.

If he wants to win this award, he'll have to come out strong in the second half and keep doing what he's doing. He's smashing records that haven't been broken since Wilt Chamberlain, and the manner he's performing is absolutely incredible. Currently, he is averaging 28.1 points per game while shooting 51.7 percent from the field. This season, he's been one of the most efficient scorers this league has seen in a long time, and the way he gets to his mid-range spots is a thing of beauty.

Let's look at three reasons why DeMar DeRozan should win the league's MVP award, and why he was the MVP heading into the All-Star break.

Winning the MVP is never easy. There's a lot of bias that goes into voting at times and no one really knows what exactly voters are looking for. This year in particular is going to be very interesting considering teams that have MVP-caliber players haven't exactly been killing it in the standings. It's going to be tough for a few guys to win this MVP award, and how they perform down the stretch is undoubtedly going to be the deciding factor on if they win the award. As we have seen in the past, there have obviously been some snubs in terms of guys who should have won the award who didn't, so anything is really possible. This is also a season where you can probably make an argument that five or so guys do have a legit chance at winning the award.

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DeMar DeRozan MVP

3. Despite several injuries, he's carrying the Bulls

Throughout the season, the Chicago Bulls have had to contend with injuries. It's been a particularly difficult portion of this team's year, and while they've managed to find success despite it, it's clearly something they never want to have to deal with again. Whether it's Patrick Williams' limited appearances at the start of the season or Alex Caruso's and Lonzo Ball’s lengthy absence. The Chicago Bulls have had to deal with a lot over the years, with Zach LaVine dealing with some nagging injuries.

If this happened to this Bulls squad in previous years, they would most likely be a 7-9 seed at best. They haven't had much luck in previous years, and once DeMar DeRozan arrived in Chicago, Zach LaVine was transformed into a new sort of beast, and DeMar has done everything he can to put this club on his shoulders while dealing with ailments.

Zach LaVine is a fantastic player, but it'll be difficult to argue that DeMar DeRozan isn't the one leading this team and doing everything he can.

2. 4th in terms of scoring, but also incredibly efficient

DeMar DeRozan will find it difficult to win this award since the other two players ahead of him, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid, are close behind him in terms of scoring the most points per game in the NBA.

What people need to understand is that both of those guys are also highly efficient, and while they are generally players who just kill in the inside, they are still getting the job done, which has to be a consideration. DeMar DeRozan is shooting 51% from the field this season, and while the rest of the candidates are shooting on par or slightly better, DeRozan's performance is more impressive.

DeMar DeRozan's performance is more impressive than that of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid right now since he is taking jump shots. Both of those guys take jump shots at times, but they mostly inflict their damage on the inside. DeMar DeRozan is one of the finest in NBA history at getting to his areas in the mid-range and banging down shots at a high rate.

This is the best performance in his career, and for a player who attempts as many jump shots as he does, that number is almost unheard of.

1. Has undoubtedly been the NBA's best pure scorer

It's difficult to dispute that DeMar DeRozan hasn't been the best in terms of pure scoring. You might argue that Kevin Durant was the most efficient and best scorer in the NBA while he was playing, but he has missed a major portion of the season due to injury, thus DeMar DeRozan has to be the most efficient and best scorer in the NBA now.