CHICAGO – For a second straight year as a member of the Bulls, DeMar DeRozan’s efforts on the floor have earned him a spot among the best in the National Basketball Association.

On Thursday night, the guard was named an All-Star reserve for the Eastern Conference, doing so for the second time as a member of the Bulls. It’s the sixth selection for DeRozan in his 14-year NBA career, previously making the All-Star team in 2014, 2016, 2017, and 2018 with the Toronto Raptors.

The guard will be the Bulls’ lone representative in the game that will be played on Sunday, February 19 at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City.

DeRozan continues to be a leader on the Bulls after joining the team in a sign-and-trade from the San Antonio Spurs in the summer of 2021. In 47 games this season, DeRozan leads them in scoring with 26.3 points per game with five assists and 14.9 rebounds in 36.2 minutes per contest.

His numbers are comparable to his 2021-2022 season in Chicago where he was named an All-Star starter, averaging a career-high 27.9 points per game with 5.2 rebounds and 4.9 assists per contest.

The situation is a bit different for DeRozan this year than it was last February when the Bulls were near the top of the Eastern Conference standings. In the 2022-2023 season, the team has struggled with consistency around the guard and currently has a record 23-27 as they head into a match-up with the Hornets at the United Center Thursday.

At the moment, they are sitting 11th in the conference and outside of the playoffs.