JUST NOW: Due to injuries, Billy Donovan will be cautious with DeMar DeRozan’s playing time because the Bulls’ depth has diminished.

DeMar keeps brushing aside any controversy that tries to link him to the franchise, even in the face of extreme pressure and uncertainty about his future. He has been and will continue to be a willing leader of the Chicago Bulls who is dedicated, professional, and selfless.

While Deebo is thrilled to be leading the Bulls’ charge and is delighted about it, some worry about how he will stay motivated, particularly with Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic sidelined for extended periods of time.

Deebo is averaging 36.6 minutes per game this season. When it comes to minutes logged, he leads the entire team. He is in the Top 6 in the league.

However, his current minutes average puts a great deal of danger on what might happen in the upcoming games given his age and the amount of weight he must carry. He cracked five times in the final ten games he played, all within forty minutes or longer.

Donovan expressed his concern with Deebo’s growing number of minutes. We’ve been in this predicament since Torrey, Vooch, and Zach were removed. I play with him a lot. I want to keep that in mind. I do consult with him. In terms of his communication skills, he is good.

Young guns ought to take the initiative.
As it is, the Bulls cannot afford to lose another player, and they will not be able to survive even if DeMar gets hit by an injury bug once.

In order to manage DeMar’s load, Coach Donovan still has a number of players to take into account and may decide to give them more minutes. Aside from Alex Caruso and Ayo Dosunmu, Julian Philips and Dalen Terry seem reliable enough to be relied upon as the team’s young guns and can offer a more youthful production.