DeMar DeRozan, Coby White lead league in minutes, but can they sustain this rate of play?

DeMar DeRozan is a team guy.

Whatever’s needed, he’s providing. This season, what the Bulls have needed is extra minutes, specifically from him and Coby White.

DeRozan’s 37.7 minutes per game are the most he has averaged since he was 24, his fifth year in the league. Meanwhile, White’s averaging five minutes more than his previous career high. Bulls coach Billy Donovan said he’s not concerned with the total minutes played, but he is monitoring the consecutive minutes he’s asking them to play.

“The biggest thing is the fatigue factor,” Donovan said. “When you look at it, is the number of minutes putting them in a position where they are less effective or less efficient, generally.”

DeRozan and White lead the league in total minutes with 1,996 minutes played. Raptors small forward Scottie Barnes is third in the league with 1,935 minutes.

Donovan said he has to do a better job minimizing the consecutive minutes for both players. The problem with that is the lack of depth.

Injuries have plagued Donovan’s team this year, starting with Zach LaVine, who, after missing a considerable amount of time in the first half of the season, underwent season-ending surgery on his right foot earlier this month. The timeline for his return is four to six months.

Beyond LaVine, the Bulls have been without Torrey Craig, who missed 22 games between December and January dealing with a plantar fascia sprain. Upon returning from the All-Star break, the team released news that Craig’s absence would be extended as he recovers from a sprained knee. He will be re-evaluated in two to four weeks. Meanwhile, Patrick Williams remains out with a left foot injury.

The All-Star break provided some much-needed rest and relaxation for both DeRozan and White. The news that Craig would be out at least two weeks was a blow.

“I don’t know if we walked past a black cat or broke a mirror,” DeRozan joked on Wednesday.

The answer, he said, is to continue responding the way they have all season. Asked if he’s still able to withstand the minutes he has been playing, DeRozan didn’t hesitate before confidently confirming he could and would.

A look at the league’s leading players in total minutes paints an alarming picture. DeRozan is the only player among the top 15 in most minutes played who is older than 30. DeRozan and Donovan both have talked at length about his buy-in to the right treatment and investment in his body that allows him to take on this much wear-and-tear. The question is, how sustainable is it?

The buyout market is a realistic option the Bulls can and likely will explore to find the answer.

“Extra bodies always help,” DeRozan said. “You never know what could happen. Sometimes when we run out on that layup line we feel thin and it sucks because we wish we had all our teammates there. So, the more the merrier.”

All-Star bust

The All-Star Game was met with a heavy amount of criticism regarding the level of competition exhibited by players. It’s an issue that the league is looking to remedy.

The reality is there might not be a solution, considering the careful mentality players and coaches carry into the game.

“I know the goal would be to make it more competitive,” Donovan said. “And make it more of a game where guys are really battling, but sometimes it may be unrealistic.

“I don’t think you want to see somebody coming out of the All-Star break with a sprained ankle or some kind of other issue that puts them on the sideline for their team.”