With the Bulls' depth weakened due to injuries, Billy Donovan will be cautious with DeMar DeRozan's minutes

The minutes of the Bulls' star are increasing as Chicago continues to rely on him the most.

© Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports

Despite the uncertainty and the overwhelming pressure about his future, DeMar continues to dust off any drama that tries to bind him and the franchise. He remained and will always remain committed, professional, and a willing leader of the Chicago Bulls.

While Deebo is overjoyed and content to be at the forefront of the Bulls' charge, there is some concern about how he will keep himself motivated, especially since both of his teammates, Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic, are out for an extended period of time.

Manage the exposure

So far this season, Deebo is averaging 36.6 minutes per game. He sits atop the entire team on minutes logged. League-wide, he stands within the Top 6.

But considering his age and the amount of load he has to carry, his current minutes average imposes such a risk on what could unfold in the next few games. In his last 10 games, he managed to crack within 40 minutes of play or more five times.

“I am concerned,” Donovan said about Deebo’s increasing minutes. “It is the situation we’ve been in with Torrey, Vooch and Zach out. I play him a lot. I want be mindful of that. I (do) check with him. He’s good with communication (about his ability).”

Young guns should step up

As it is, the Bulls cannot afford to lose another body, and they cannot truly survive if DeMar once unfortunately gets inflicted by an injury bug.

Coach Donovan still has considerable pieces to consider which he can give increased minutes as a response to managing the load of DeMar. Besides Alex Caruso and Ayo Dosunmu, both Dalen Terry and Julian Philips appear serviceable enough to count on as the two can provide a fresher output as the team's young guns.

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