New Derrick Rose Cant Forget What Made Old Version so Effective: After two career-altering knee injuries, Chicago Bulls star point guard Derrick Rose has been forced to make a few adjustments to his game. Some of those changes have to be reverted, though. Its no secret that the former league MVP has looked like a different player this season. Hes shown flashes of his old self, and theres no doubt that the freakish speed and athleticism that made him such an unstoppable force is still present. However, Rose has been very hesitant and passive for a majority of the 2014-15 campaign. Hes fallen in love with the three-point shot, but hes slowly starting to realize thats not the way he has to play. During a few of his recent games, Rose has started to look like his former self, taking the driving lanes and knocking down shots from inside the arc. This style of play bodes extremely well for a Bulls team that needs him at his best in order to win a title. Rose will have to revert to his old ways again; it will come sooner or later, but the process has to start now. Three-Point Shooting The outside shot has never been Roses strength. Prior to this season, he was a career 31 percent shooter, and hes been worse this year, converting just 27 percent of his long-range shots. But its not so much about his efficiency from three-point land as it is about the volume of shots. Thirty-six percent of Roses attempts are coming from behind the arc, a 12 percent uptick compared to his MVP season in 2010-11. However, the increase in shots has not come with more three-pointers connecting. In fact, the 1.4 makes per game this year are more or less consistent with his numbers over the last few seasons. The Bulls dont need Rose to be a threat from three-point land. Thats what players like Mike Dunleavy, Aaron Brooks and Nikola Mirotic are for. The expectations were that Rose would return and be able to get those guys open looks with his penetration. While he has done that to an extent, being perimeter-oriented limits the amount of good looks the rest of the team gets because the defense can stay home. Its something that can be fixed easily. All Rose has to do is simply take a couple of steps inside the arc, and hes proven in the past he can be extremely efficient. The Art of the Mid-Range Jumper Rose took the league by storm earlier than most probably anticipated. After all, he became the youngest player to ever win the leagues MVP award. If we look at the year prior to his award-winning campaign, though, Rose showed he was the most efficient mid-range shooter in the NBA. In 2009-10, of the 25 players who attempted over 500 mid-range jump shots, Rose led them in field-goal percentage (47 percent), per Grantlands Kirk Goldsberry. Thats what made him so impossible to defend. Giving him room meant hed knock down the jump shot, and if the defender closed out, he could break him down one-on-one and get to the rim. That same season, only 4 percent of his 1,300-plus attempts came from beyond the arc. Rose was unstoppable from 15 to 20 feet out, but he went away from that as he gained more confidence in his three-point shot. But if Rose is still hesitant to attack the rim—and after two major knee injuries, its not really a surprise—he has to own the mid-range game like he once did. He showed flashes of that Monday night against the Toronto Raptors, shooting 6-of-7 on jump shots inside the three-point arc. If Rose can consistently knock down shots, it will open up everything else in his arsenal—most importantly, his ability to get in the paint. Attacking the Rim As effective as his shot may have been earlier in his career, Roses true strength comes from his world-class speed and athleticism. He and the Bulls are at their best when hes aggressive and attacking the basket. It opens up the entire floor. Defenses have to converge and switch when he gets in the paint or else its nearly a guaranteed basket. This season, Rose is second in field-goal percentage (58.2) on drives to the basket among point guards who average at least 27 minutes per game. This was on full display against the Portland Trail Blazers on Dec. 12, as Rose shot 9-of-12 at the rim, a season-best mark. Sixteen of his 24 shots that night came from 12 feet or closer to the basket, and he attempted just two three-pointers—which he missed. It was a season-high 31 points for Rose and also his third-best output in terms of field-goal percentage (58.3). When Rose is aggressive, the Bulls are simply better. In 13 wins, Rose has averaged nearly nine points per game in the paint. When defenses collapse, Rose does a great job of finding the open man, whether it’s a shooter out on the wing or a big near the rim, as he often does with Joakim Noah. In the five losses hes been a part of, hes averaged fewer than five points inside. Rose continued his aggressive play Tuesday night against the Washington Wizards, making eight of 11 baskets in or just outside the paint. His three-point attempts—like in the Portland game—were very scarce. You all are going to be surprised by the way Im playing, Rose said earlier in December, per Cody Westerlund of CBSChicago. Just give me a little minute. I know where Im going to be. I know how good I am. Im very confident with my craft and how good I am, period. Rose definitely looks like hes turning a corner, but hell have to remain consistent over the next few weeks. If he can keep riding this current wave, the Bulls could find themselves atop the Eastern Conference once again, just like they were the last time their franchise player was healthy. Stats accurate as of Dec. 23 and courtesy of Basketball-Reference and NBA. Read more NBA news on BleacherReport #Basketball #NBA #NBACentral #ChicagoBulls #fantasybasketball
Posted on: Wed, 24 Dec 2014 11:43:19 +0000
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