Chicago Bulls Weekly: Derrick Rose Is Still Good, Injury Updates And More
I’ve been saying it since the Chicago Bulls’ first preseason game (and Derrick Rose has been saying it too), but as long as he stays healthy, D-Rose looks as good as he ever has. Is it just the preseason? Yes. But do I care? Clearly not, and neither should you.
This isn’t about hype, emotion or anxiety that comes with one of the league’s best 15 players returning to action after more than a year. Just looking at how well Rose has played in the preseason should tell you he’s back. And even if the first couple of games didn’t convince you, his Change-The-Channel, Trending-On-Twitter caliber performance against the Indiana Pacers on Friday should have changed your mind.
Derrick Rose Is Still Awesome
So far in the preseason, NBA fans have been divided into two distinct groups: Those who believed Derrick Rose’s “delayed” return meant he’d be great again this year, and those who have been proven wrong. Other than the “sore left knee scare” in Chicago’s third preseason game, Rose has not only looked healthy, but as good as ever when he’s been on the floor.
On Friday night, Rose treated a pretty full United Center to his finest preseason performance yet, finishing with 32 points, nine assists and four rebounds in 31 minutes. He went 9-for-15 from the floor, 4-for-7 from 3-point range and scored 10 of Chicago’s last 13 points to secure a 103-98 win over Indiana. Why was this so impressive? Because aside from the obvious efficiency of those numbers, this game certainly didn’t feel like a preseason game. The starters for both teams logged big minutes, the crowd was rocking and it clearly had a regular season atmosphere going on.
The Pacers, fresh off an appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals, are a team touted for their tough defense. They’re seen as one of the three teams (possibly) capable of dethroning the Miami Heat in the East this year. Yet against Derrick Rose, they looked like the same Indiana Pacers team that fell to the Bulls in five games in 2011. Not because their defense regressed or because they played poorly, but because Rose is just as dynamic as ever. I wonder if Frank Vogel has nightmares about Derrick Rose clear-out plays in the last two minutes of games. Vogel’s R.E.M. cycle aside though, the question has to be asked:
Are the Bulls and Pacers Rivals?
As of right now, I don’t think so. The last time the Bulls and Pacers met in the playoffs, it was a competitive and entertaining first round series, but it was hardly the stuff of legends. Rose pretty much single-handedly won a number of those matchups with late-game heroics and the Pacers’ were still anticipating Paul George having a breakout season. With Rose and the Bulls pretty much out of commission the last two postseasons, Indiana’s rise in the East was pretty much assured.
That being said, now the Bulls are back to their full strength (kind of) and it’s a title or bust season. Which means Chicago’s path out of the East will likely go through Miami, Indiana and/or Brooklyn. The Pacers and Bulls both view the Heat as their unquestionable rival, as Derrick Rose stated a few days ago when he dismissed the notion of a Bulls-Pacers rivalry.
On one hand, it’d be easy to take Rose’s words as a slight to the Pacers. But Rose had nothing but positive things to say about Indiana, just like Vogel had nothing but positive things to say about Rose after watching his team once again fail to stop Chicago’s star. The relationship between these two teams is competitive and they may end up squaring off against each other in the postseason, but for now it seems like these two teams have a mutual respect for one another. Could it develop into a rivalry? Sure. But for now, maybe that mutual respect comes with realizing they’re two of three teams in the East that have any prayer of thwarting Miami’s quest for the threepeat.
Kirk’s Concussion and Noah’s Nagging Groin
Since the list of players on injury watch in Chicago can be described as set of revolving doors, this section might be something to keep an eye on all season. The latest injured Bulls are Kirk Hinrich and Joakim Noah. Captain Kirk suffered a concussion against the Pacers Friday night and is expected to miss a couple of days, while Joakim Noah (who bears a resemblance to Klingons if we’re continuing the Star Trek references) will continue to be shut down for about a week with his strained groin.
This particular Klingon is quite injury prone. (NBA.com photo)
Noah played 20 minutes in Chicago’s preseason game against the Detroit Pistons but felt discomfort and will take it easy rehabbing for the time being. Tom Thibodeau said he probably won’t return until he’s completely healthy…which is kind of a scary statement. The injury doesn’t sound serious, but the Bulls absolutely need Noah’s interior defense, interior passing and exterior energy and passion. Injuries are common in the NBA and even more common in Chicago apparently, but keep your eye on Noah’s status as we move closer to the regular season.
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