DeMar DeRozan preaches urgency as Chicago Bulls suffer another heartbreaking loss

While there may be a ton of basketball left to be played this season, the Chicago Bulls have struggled to find their footing thus far.

With yet another heartbreaking loss, this one against the Atlanta Hawks on an improbable buzzer-beater by rookie AJ Griffin, DeMar DeRozan has been preaching an urgent tone when it comes to turning things around.

The Bulls have shown flashes of brilliance in some games; at other times, they look completely puzzling. The grizzled veteran that he is, DeRozan has been trying to get the team to play with more consistency, and it's about time that everyone else on the team follows suit.

Start turning things around

At 11-15, the Bulls stand in 11th place in the Eastern Conference. However, apart from the Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks, no other team has stood out. In fact, Chicago is just five games behind the third-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers.

With plenty of basketball left to play, the Bulls have time to turn things around. And while the team struggles to right the ship, DeMar has been preaching for his teammates to step up their intensity and start playing like a team hungry for success.

"We've got to chip away at this thing. We dug ourselves a hole, and now we've made it difficult on ourselves, so every single game is extremely important. And that's how we've got to approach it, mentally, physically, emotionally," said DeRozan.

DEMAR DEROZAN! pic.twitter.com/0CYWhYT5RA
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) December 12, 2022

No margin for error

NBA players often say that the regular season is a marathon, not a sprint. However, with how they started the season, there's no margin for error regarding the Bulls and their bid to return to the playoffs. Every loss is significant and can have long-term implications on where they eventually end up in the standings.

"We just don't have a margin for error to say it's December 12th, and it's okay," said head coach Billy Donovan.

COMPTON'S FINEST! @DeMar_DeRozan | #BullsNation pic.twitter.com/RmQGC4kNsY
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) December 12, 2022