DeMar DeRozan plans to play on Thursday vs. the Detroits Pistons

It looks like the Bulls are getting their leading scorer back for their matchup against the Detroit Pistons in Paris, France.

It appears there's no way DeMar DeRozan is going to miss the Chicago Bulls' historic trip to Paris, France, for their matchup on Thursday against the Detroit Pistons. Sidelined for the last three games due to a strained quad, DeRozan said on Monday that he plans on suiting up against the Pistons as the Bulls try to stay in the hunt for a playoff spot.

Brief practice

Not long after landing in "The City of Lights," DeRozan joined his teammates in a brief shootaround at the Palais des sports Marcel-Cerdan. Barring any setbacks in the next few days, DeRozan will be back in uniform against their Central Division rival.

We have arrived in Paris 🇫🇷❤️ pic.twitter.com/eVRbCH5lmw

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) January 16, 2023

While it wasn't by any means an intense workout, DeRozan's presence on the floor was seen as a positive sign by coach Billy Donovan, especially with the Bulls looking to keep their playoff hopes alive. Although it has been an up-and-down season, Chicago is just four and a half games back from the sixth seed.

Timely return

Chicago did not fare well without DeRozan on the floor, going 1-2 after suffering losses to the Washington Wizards and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Fortunately for Chicago, Nikola Vucevic had a career night on Sunday, scoring a career-high-tying 43 points to snap the two-game slump with a win over the Golden State Warriors.

As for DeRozan, his three-game stint on the sidelines has offered him some perspective. He noted that it's not only about him as a player but also the team as a whole.

“You get a different perspective when you are sitting back and watching from afar,” DeRozan said. “We were just having too many lapses here and there, whether defensively or offensively, that put us in a hole and made it so tough for us to get back in a lot of games."

“My mindset is to this next half of the season and understanding those moments and being a lot better and emphasizing that so it doesn’t linger throughout four or five minutes in a quarter of a game,” Deebo added.

Off the plane and straight to the gym 🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/xUjSEokU2p

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) January 16, 2023