DeMar DeRozan

DeRozan calls Torrey Craig his top-two defender in the NBA

DeMar DeRozan had high praise for his new teammate back in September

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DeMar DeRozan gave the Bulls' newest free agent signing a five-star review.

In September 2022, DeRozan went on JJ Reddick's podcast and made a bold statement about Torrey Craig's game.

"I give him top two players in the league that defends me the best," DeRozan said on "The Old Man and The Three."

DeRozan was narrating the sequence leading up to his one-legged buzzer beater on New Year's Eve against the Pacers in 2021 — the one he hit in Craig's face from well beyond the arc.

"In my mind, I'm like, 'I'm not gonna make it to the rim with how tired I am if I try to shoot a fadeaway off two feet,'" DeRozan said. "And the way [Craig] was contesting me all night, he was gonna block it. So in my mind, I crossed, and I know he's not gonna expect me to shoot off one leg. And I went off one leg just to be able to get the shot off because if I shot a fadeaway off two feet, he would have blocked it. No question he would have blocked it."

The Bulls signed the 6-foot-7 forward to a two-year contact last week to address their need for 3-point shooting. Craig's 39.5% from 3-point range last season coupled with an ability to guard multiple positions made him a fit for whatever roster Artūras Karnišovas's is trying to build this offseason.

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