DeMar DeRozan's MVP Stock Is Rising
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, DeMar DeRozan has been dominating the NBA from the midrange. He’s scored at least 35 points in the last seven games and is doing it while shooting over 50% from the field. Before his last game against the Hawks, DeRozan was tied with Wilt Chamberlain for the most such games in NBA history. Now he stands alone.
During DeRozan’s conquest of the rest of the league, the conversation around him being the MVP has grown. The oddsmakers are beginning to buy into the narrative as well.
WynnBET has moved DeRozan’s MVP odds from +2500 to +800. That puts him in fourth place behind Joel Embiid (+140), Nikola Jokic (+260) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (+450).
DeMar DeRozan over the last 8 Games:
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) February 25, 2022
45 PTS, 9 REB, 7 AST, 60% FG
38 PTS, 5 REB, 4 AST, 59% FG
36 PTS, 5 REB, 4 AST, 68% FG
35 PTS, 6 REB, 6 AST, 63% FG
38 PTS, 6 REB, 5 AST, 50% FG
40 PTS, 3 REB, 7 AST, 67% FG
38 PTS, 6 REB, 6 AST, 59% FG
37 PTS, 6 REB, 3 AST, 71% FG pic.twitter.com/AHS96hcDgq
Even outside of the streak, DeRozan has a case for himself. He’s fourth in scoring, averaging 28.3 points per game, and has the Bulls tied with the Heat for the best record in the Eastern conference. On top of that, he’s played more games than the three players above him in the odds standings.
Chicago has dealt with a lot of injuries this season. Lonzo Ball and Alex Caruso have been out of the lineup for weeks now and DeRozan has found a way to keep the Bulls relevant. While the other players ahead of DeRozan have certainly dealt with their injury issues on their respective teams, DeRozan has quietly done the same and continued to perform.
At this point, it seems like Joel Embiid is destined to win the award this year, but DeRozan has a longshot chance and can continue to have value until he gets moved into the top three.
The Bulls play the Grizzlies tonight, which will be a great chance to show the league what he’s been doing.