DeMar DeRozan looking to get a breath of fresh air at the All-Star break

"The last two months has been kind of crazy for us with the injuries."

© John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

A week may not be that long, but for Chicago Bulls veteran DeMar DeRozan, he’ll need every single day to rest, recuperate, and revitalize his mind and body for the stretch run of the regular season.

 At 26-29, the Bulls hold ninth place in the Eastern Conference but are keen on making headway toward a higher seed. To do that, Deebo knows the team must take the All-Star break to get right mentally and physically.

Chicago’s cornerstone

Despite his age and the mileage on his body, DeRozan has not shied away from the challenge of being the Bulls’ rock, averaging 22.7 points and 5.2 assists per game while leading the team in scoring and minutes played. And with several Bulls suffering injuries in recent months, DeRozan has had to carry an even heavier load on both ends of the court.

“The last two months has been kind of crazy for us with the injuries, dealing with all the noise on the outside with the trade rumors,” DeRozan shared.

“Emotionally, physically, mentally, we took on a tall task the last 60 days, and we pushed through it. Now we can kind of breathe a little bit, gather our minds and emotions, and get Pat back, hopefully, and get some bodies back and kind of get rejuvenated for the next (27) games.”

Deebo going to work in the clutch.@NBCSChicago | @DeMar_DeRozan pic.twitter.com/jNcyx3Mqig

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) February 15, 2024

Looking forward to the season’s last salvo

The Bulls are four-and-a-half games out of the sixth seed, which the Indiana Pacers possess. The task of getting to that point is daunting, but Deebo believes the struggles they’ve had this season have equipped them to make a run.

“To go through everything we went through showed we are right there. Fatigued, being beat up, coming back with fresh minds and bodies, we should be able to run off everything we need to run off,” DeRozan remarked.

Deebo ahead of the pack!@NBCSChicago | @DeMar_DeRozan pic.twitter.com/REdaOxNmgf

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) February 15, 2024

“It’s been a toll on us all, playing with limited bodies, not knowing who was going to play, a lot of guys racking up a lot of minutes. Refresh the mind, get that eagerness and hunger to want to be back on the court. When we get back out there, we should be ready to go.”

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