DeMar DeRozan has unfinished business. The Jerry West Trophy, the NBA Clutch Player of the Year Award . . . whatever name is attached to it, the veteran Bulls forward didn’t get to hold it when it was awarded for the first time last season.
That honor went to Kings guard De’Aaron Fox. DeRozan finished third in media voting based on coaches’ nominations, behind Fox and Heat forward Jimmy Butler.
A year later, the award feels as though it’s DeRozan’s to lose.
Entering Tuesday, only Warriors guard Stephen Curry had more total clutch points than DeRozan’s 166, edging him out with 167 (the NBA defines a clutch game as a five-point game with five minutes left). But DeRozan was shooting better from the field (51.6% to Curry’s 50%) and also was surprisingly better from three-point range (50% to 46.7%). And outside of assists and rebounds, he especially separated in plus/minus, with a plus-77 to Curry’s plus-3.
In two-point games with two minutes or less remaining, DeRozan leads all NBA scorers with 53 points on 50% shooting.
In two-point games with a minute or less left, he has a league-best 40 points, and the Bulls are 16-8 in those games.
In the last 30 seconds of two-point games, he leads with 34 points on 47.1% shooting.
Curry is second in all those situations.
Will Curry ultimately beat out DeRozan because of his career résumé and marks-manship from three-point range? Possibly. But clutch play is more than just scoring. DeRozan also has done a good job of faciliting plays by teammates while facing defenses hellbent on stopping him with double-teams and blitzes.
“It gives us an advantage when they trap me,” DeRozan said recently.
Young guards Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu can pick up a lot from DeRozan in clutch moments — including his ability to remain calm.
“It’s like a survival mode that kicks in, but in a fun way,” he said recently. “I’m not scared to fail. I’m not scared to try to make something happen. I want those moments more than anything. It always reminds me of my childhood and doing the little fake-down, jumping on the bed and fake-shooting the shot. As a competitor, those moments are the ones I relish.”
With 13 games left in the regular season, DeRozan is also in the conversation for an All-NBA team, although he’s considered a long shot.
Other Bulls eyeing awards
Coby White: He should be a finalist for the Most Improved Player Award, but it’ll be tough for him to beat out 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey, Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton and Rockets center Alperen Sengun.
Sengun is dealing with a severe ankle sprain that could hurt his final push. Although White’s scoring increase has been better than Maxey’s and Haliburton’s, they both have more name power and are on teams with better records. (Raptors guard/forward Scottie Barnes, who’s also on a bad, rebuilding team, is a long shot.)
Alex Caruso: The veteran guard has no chance for Defensive Player of the Year. However, he should repeat as an All-Defensive First-Teamer — although it does get tricky because of the beauty stats of blocks and steals that many voters look toward.
Caruso is fifth in the NBA in total steals, but that’s hardly all he does. In particular, his ability to disrupt pick-and-rolls with physicality can’t be overlooked. He also has drawn 10 charges, and his 218 deflections are third-most in the league.
