Derrick Rose: Bulls Guard Starting To Silence Critics

Following years of frustration and criticism regarding his rash of injuries over the past few seasons, Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose is starting to quiet his critics.

After multiple knee surgeries that cost him the better part of two seasons, the career of Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose took an unexpected turn to say the least. And after he missed 31 games last year, many Bulls fans were left to ponder whether or not Rose could ever return to a level of respectability.

Through the first few months of the current campaign, it appeared that would not be the case. For starters, Rose suffered yet another injury (orbital fracture) on the first day of training camp. Secondly, he averaged just 13.3 and 15.3 points, respectively, during the first two months of the season.

Taking those trends into consideration, it would have been safe to assume that Rose’s best days were behind him. While he had shown flashes of the player he used to be, the problem was that he wasn’t able to string together solid performances.

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Until recently that is.

During January, Rose increased his scoring output to 17.6 points per contest on 47 percent shooting. The significance of that conversion rate is that it marks Rose’s highest mark of any month.

For those of us who are tempted to think that Rose’s January output was an aberration, it may be wise to hit the brakes on those thoughts as well.

Over the past week, Rose scored 28 points against the Cleveland Cavaliers, 26 points against the Toronto Raptors and 24 points against the Los Angeles Lakers. This marked the first time that Rose has scored at least 24 points in three consecutive games since the 2011-12 season.

On top of that, in the eight games that he has played in February, Rose is averaging 21.9 points, 6.0 assists and 5.6 rebounds with shooting splits of .439/.316/.846. What is even more impressive is that Rose is carrying the scoring load even though he is now the focal point of opposing defenses.

Although the 31 percent from distance is nothing to brag about, it is Rose’s best conversion rate from beyond the arc at this point of the season. As long as he can continue playing this well when Butler returns to the lineup, the sky is the limit for Chicago’s backcourt tandem.

"“I just feel like I’m back,” Rose said via the Chicago Sun-Times. “I’m out there playing. Whatever I can do to get my team a victory, that’s what I’m going to do. They’re giving me mid-range [shots]; they’re giving me drives to the lane, just mixing up my game. Just trying to play a solid game when I’m out there.”"

Things are going so well for Rose right now that even the orbital injury he sustained during training camp turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Due to the lack of depth perception, Rose was forced to add an unconventional dimension to his game – a mid-range bank shot.

How well is Rose shooting the bank shot?

Well, in 69 attempts, Rose has made 48 of them, which equates to a 69.6 shooting percentage.

"“It’s an easy shot for me,” Rose told the Chicago Tribune. “My eye is getting a lot better. I was like, ‘You know what, just add it to the repertoire.’ And it’s been working ever since. And they give me mid-range because they don’t want me getting in the lane. I don’t know when they’re going to learn.”"

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Rose also went on to say that although his defense can still get better, he loves the way he is playing from an offensive standpoint. After watching him battle through multiple injuries over the past few seasons, it is a certainty that both the front office and his teammates echo that sentiment.