Fresh off earning Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors, Chicago Bulls star guard DeMar DeRozan could be sidelined for some time.
Shams Charania of The Athletic reports that DeRozan has entered the NBA COVID-19 healthy and safety protocols. He could miss several games.
What a horrible blow this would be for DeRozan, 32, and his Bulls. Acquired in a sign-and-trade with the San Antonio Spurs this past off-season, the four-time All-Star has been playing at a career-best clip.
DeMar DeRozan stats
- PPG: 26.4
- RPG: 5.3
- APG: 4.1
- FG: 50%
- FT: 89%
As of right now, it’s pretty darn clear DeRozan is a top-end MVP candidate. He has his Bulls at 16-8 on the season and with the second-best record in the Eastern Conference. DeRozan also averaged 31.0 points on 62% shooting over the past week en route to leading Chicago a perfect 3-0 record.
Related: Find out where DeMar DeRozan ranks among NBA players
Timeline for DeMar DeRozan return from COVID-19 list
First off, the primary focus here should be on his health. If DeRozan did in fact test positive for the virus, we’re wishing him the best.
From a basketball standpoint, there’s a chance that DeRozan received a false positive. That was the case recently when we assumed Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James would miss multiple games. After it was concluded he received a false-positive, James returned following a mere one-game absence.
On the other hand, we’ve seen other big-name players miss substantial time after being placed into the protocols. Philadelphia 76ers star and reigning NBA MVP finalist Joel Embiid had to sit out nine games. His teammate, Tobias Harris, missed six games.
We’ll have further updates as they become available regarding DeMar DeRozan and his status moving forward. For now, he’s out Monday against the Denver Nuggets.