Derrick Rose is no longer the player who was named MVP in 2011 and could consistently carry the Chicago Bulls. That’s obvious. What’s less so is whether or not the 25 year-old can improve on his current level of play going forward.
But following one of his worst performance of 2014-2015, it’s clear that’s a discussion for another time. Rose may very well rebound to become something resembling the force he was three years ago, but it won’t be this season. Not that a lack of confidence is what’s holding him back, of course.
After making just one of his 13 field goal attempts in the Bulls’ ugly 87-71 win over the Milwaukee Bucks, Rose remained defiant about his struggles.
DRose: "That’s the most days I took off in two years. I’m not worried about missing shots. I’ve shot worse before, so it’s nothing big.’’
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) February 24, 2015
That’s an admirable thought process, and certainly one befitting of basketball’s most productive scorers. However, it’s also inaccurate.
Not once throughout his six-year career has Rose shot worse than 1-of-13 from the floor. He equaled that ineptitude during a game against the Miami Heat in April 2012, but he still made a two-pointer during that performance. Chicago’s native son was 0-of-10 from inside the arc against Milwaukee, the first time he’s ever failed to net a two in his career.
Rose has followed up the most successful stint of his comeback by shooting 8-of-33 in the Bulls’ three games post All-Star break. Might the week off be contributing to his struggles? Considering his extremely high level of comfort late last month and early this one, that certainly seems a possibility.
The question for Chicago is if the team is good enough to win big despite not knowing what it will get from Rose on a nightly basis. Just as he’s capable of a historically woeful game, he can also light up the scoreboard like he did in his MVP heyday. What complicates matters is the Bulls’ uncharacteristically average defense – they can no longer rely on holding the opposition in check when struggling to score themselves.
But Jimmy Buter’s ascent and Pau Gasol’s addition means Chicago doesn’t need Rose to play at his peak to contend for a championship. The recently excellent play of Tony Snell furthers that belief, too.
Does that mean the Bulls can withstand play from Rose like Monday’s? Certainly not. But something in-between his career worst and career best could very well do for a team so talented.
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