Following an impressive 46-win 2021-22 campaign, the Chicago Bulls have suffered through an uneven 2022-23 campaign. Back in late December, the Bulls appeared to have already reached their lowest point of the season following a huge locker room dustup during halftime of a blowout loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. In addition, reports of rumored “discord” between DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine came to the forefront.
Nonetheless, the Bulls appeared to have righted the ship enough. They played at a much better level in the following weeks that they managed to convince the Bulls front office to stay the course amid strong trade interest from the rest of the league in their core stars. Alas, the Bulls have slumped as of late. They have now lost their past four games, including a dispiriting 100-91 loss to the Orlando Magic on Monday night.
And to make matters worse, arguably their best player and 2023 All-Star selection DeMar DeRozan seems to be nursing a hip injury. DeRozan revealed after the game that his hip “hurt all game” against the Magic and that he has “quietly” been playing through a “hip issue” for over a month, per K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago.
Nonetheless, DeRozan isn't the type to miss too many games, if any. The six-time All-Star has only missed four games this season, including three straight in mid-January due to a quad injury. Thus, it's no surprise that DeRozan is “approaching rest of week with mindset of playing“, added Johnson.
The slumping Bulls have now dropped to the 11th seed in the Eastern Conference as a result of their recent losing streak. This is their third four-game losing streak of the campaign.
What's most worrying about the Bulls is their cold shooting from beyond the arc. They have made only 20 of their past 103 attempts from three – a horrific 19.4 percent from beyond the arc, causing their offensive production to crater as a result.
It's difficult to envision the Bulls having an easier time scoring the ball if DeMar DeRozan were to miss time due to injury. However, therein lies a double-edged sword in this entire situation. If DeRozan is suffering through a hip injury, then his performance would suffer as a result.
Nevertheless, having the 33-year old forward on the floor despite his reported injury woes should be better than not having him at all.
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