Oct 22 2008
Rose Takes Over
Ever since the NBA draft,Chicago Bulls fan have wondered, if Derrick Rose is the right guy for the Bulls. We knew he was great in college and that sometimes does not transfer into the NBA. Some guys just take more time or they just show flashes of good play. Much like his teammates for example Joakin Noah or Tyler Thomas.
Then I caught the highlights of the game last night against the Dallas Mavericks. Now whether or not it was legitimate the Bulls came back form a twenty plus deficit and Derrick Rose was the main contributor for the comeback. He lead the team with thirty including many of those in the fourth quarter plus seven assists which shows he still can get his teammate involved when he does get a good feel of the game.
Even thou it was a pre-season game and Dallas might of shut it down in the fourth I still like what I saw out of Rose. Think about this for minute, over the years the Bulls have had great teams but one thing has always been missing. A fourth quarter threat and a player that is not afraid of putting their team on their back and win or loose they will fight those last minutes. At times we saw Ben Gordon get hot or Kirk Heinrick maybe look good for a stretch of games and then all of sudden if they can not hit a outside shot then they are cold for the rest of the game. With Rose, I am at least seeing the ability to attack the rim despite his ability for a outside shot. In the game last night Rose attacked the rim and the results was a Bulls comeback win.
Derrick Rose was the right choice for the Bulls. New coach Vinny Del Negro will not say that to you right now, but you know that with Rose’s versatility and ability to open up the offense he must like his options. It is just a matter of who will fit best when Rose is on the floor. Rose has not been a starter in the pre-season and has been coming off the bench, but after last night’s performance I believe he earned his shot to be a starter.
Derrick Rose will be the next star point guard in the NBA and I am predicting that he will be the difference this year. Sometimes a team is one or two players away and Rose may be that bandage the Bulls have been looking for the last few seasons. Now the pressure will be great on Rose all season long as he was the number one pick but, with the younger core of guys on this team and the mix of a few older veterans the Bulls look good enough to get back to the playoffs this year. I am not predicting a NBA title yet, but Rose will significantly improve this team’s chances. This is a talented team it just needs to build into confidence to play every night. The Bulls were one of the most inconsistent teams last year where they looked good for a few games but others were just plain horrible. Derrick Rose should bring that consistency at the point we are looking for and his pure talent along may win us a few more games this year. In the Eastern Conference right now a few games is a difference that can make a playoff birth more realistic.
