Here’s the latest Chicago Bulls news after a loss to the Sacramento Kings, including Coby White joining Ayo Dosunmu on the injured list, DeMar DeRozan’s return to the United Center and Zach LaVine’s continued torrid scoring pace and subsequent (lack of) all-star consideration.

DeMar DeRozan’s successful return to Chicago

DeRozan spent three prosperous seasons with the Bulls, so it’s fitting his first game back as a member of the Kings was similarly successful.

The 35-year-old scored 21 points in a 124-119 Sacramento win. He was an efficient 9-for-20 from the field and scored nine points in the fourth quarter. A typical DeRozan offensive performance.

DeRozan made two All-Star appearances with the Bulls and earned a spot on the All-NBA Second Team in 2021-22, the most significant “what if” season in recent team history.

The core four of him, Lonzo Ball, LaVine and Nikola Vucevic briefly spent time at the top of the Eastern Conference in 2021 before Ball’s knee injury derailed it. DeRozan remained the team’s leader and one of the most clutch performers in the league, but team success eluded him.

He was honored with a tribute video during a first-quarter timeout. Per Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic, DeRozan admitted his first home will always be in Toronto but that the Bulls are second on the list:

““The first moment I came here, I tried to give my all to this organization, to this city. And I think it showed. You can’t fake it when you’re genuinely putting everything into representing the Bulls. I embodied the culture of Chicago, everything. I think when people see that, you get the genuine reaction in return.””

DeMar DeRozan

Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu are hurting (in) the Bulls’ backcourt

Two of the young guards DeRozan helped shape, White and Dosunmu, were missing from the lineup in the loss to the Kings. White (neck strain) and Dosunmu (calf) have played critical roles in the Bulls’ new up-tempo system.

While LaVine has carried most of the scoring load, White has found a second gear lately as both a scorer and playmaker. His ability to get to the basket has opened up new looks for shooters, giving Chicago’s offense a different threat. He’s helped keep the ball moving, and his recent uptick in 3-point shooting percentage hasn’t hurt.

Dosunmu, meanwhile, has been one of the Bulls’ best perimeter defenders (something they seriously lack) all season but is also averaging a career-high 12.6 points per game and a career-high 4.8 assists per game.

Both young guards have provided the team with different dimensions. If they’re not traded this February, it’s fair to assume they’ll play significant roles in Chicago’s rebuild (whenever it eventually comes).

Zach LaVine has become one of the NBA’s most underappreciated players

At this point, LaVine should be a shoo-in for the Eastern Conference All-Star Team.

His 36 points in the loss to Sacramento marked the sixth straight game in which he’s scored at least 30 and the seventh in his last eight. Since Dec. 26, he’s third in the NBA in scoring at 31.5 ppg.

He’s third in field goal percentage (56.5) among any player shooting at least 16 times per game and fourth in 3-point percentage (50.0) among players putting up at least 6.0 shots from deep a night.

He’s eighth in scoring among Eastern Conference guards this season, 10th in field goal percentage—like among all guards, including Detroit’s Alondes Williams, who’s a whopping 2-for-2 this year—and 10th in 3-point percentage.

Yet he’s nowhere to be found on the All-Star ballot. Come on.