DeMar DeRozan harps on the Chicago Bulls' slow starts: "We just got to stop it"

For the third game in a row, the Chicago Bulls began a game playing like their feet were stuck in the mud. On Saturday night against the Miami Heat, the Bulls missed their first 10 shots and trailed 22-1 with 5:30 remaining in the first.

While the team eventually came out on top, 102-97, veteran wingman DeMar DeRozan knows that at some point, they have to stop this concerning trend.

“The feeling we all have when we look up and you see that, it’s definitely frustrating, embarrassing,” DeRozan said. “It’s on us. We just got to stop it.”

Stay in the moment

This is an issue that has plagued Chicago since last season. A player who misses a shot or commits a turnover then gets frustrated and starts to press, losing his focus on the next play. Before long, the Bulls have dug themselves into a deep hole.

“We’ve just got to take it out of our mind that we’ve put ourselves in that situation so many times and just go out and play. You get down a couple shots, don’t go in; it kind of steamrolls. Stay with it one play at a time and not get caught up in missing shots, not get caught up in them making shots, letting the crowd down; just one possession at a time,” DeRozan explained.

Bulls have to start a lot better

Bulls coach Billy Donovan has not been negligent in stressing the importance of a good start. Despite the sluggish starts, Donovan said he tries to remain upbeat and positive.

“I try to give them a little bit of time to talk. It’s listen, ‘We have got to pick up our pace here.’ They’re talking, the talk is constructive. There is positivity in there like, ‘C’mon, let’s go, we’re better than this.’ That kind of stuff,” Donovan shared.

However, Donovan knows that talk can only take the team so far. At some point, the players must make the mental and physical effort to push through when things go south early in the game.

“It’s great to talk, but we have to go out and do it. I’m glad we were able to overcome it, but it’s certainly a hard way to live doing that,” Donovan added.

Saturday night win against Miami at the UC.@Plus500 | #SeeRed pic.twitter.com/Pv7FmmZc8C
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) November 19, 2023

Stay in the moment

Bulls have to start a lot better

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