Chicago Bulls Weekly: The Struggle Is Real

After falling to the now 3-0 Philadelphia 76ers and dropping to 1-2, the Chicago Bulls are looking for answers. Derrick Rose says he’s the one to blame. And as much as people (myself included) wanted to buy into the preseason hype that Rose was truly back, I have to agree with him after watching how the Bulls have struggled on both ends of the floor through three games.

Up to this point, Derrick Rose has pretty much shot the Bulls (and my fantasy basketball squad) out of games. He’s shooting just under 29 percent from the floor but he’s still taking a high volume of shots. Rose actually has more turnovers (17) than field goals (15) through three games. He’s shooting 25 percent from 3-point range and isn’t distributing the rock well either, averaging just 4.3 assists per game. That’s mostly due to Rose’s shot-happy approach in trying to shoot himself back into a rhythm. Until Rose has a breakthrough game and finds his offensive rhythm, Chicago’s offense could be pretty difficult to watch.

Most of that blame rightfully lies with D-Rose and the inevitable rust that has dominated his return to this point. But some of the blame has to go to Tom Thibodeau and the rest of the Bulls as well. It’s almost depressing how fast this team, which had to learn how to put the ball in the hole without Rose last season, reverted right back to the same old style of “give the ball to Rose and get the hell out of his way.” Although that sort of worked against the New York Knicks last Thursday when Rose delivered a game-winner in Chicago’s home opener.

Joakim Noah is shooting less than 32 percent from the floor and though he’s rebounding quite well, he hasn’t looked healthy or energetic on the offensive end. Luol Deng has improved since his opening night dud but is still shooting just 40 percent from the floor. Jimmy Butler‘s been a little inconsistent with his scoring, but is still finding ways to contribute with rebounding, steals and even a couple of blocks here and there. At this point, Carlos Boozer has been Chicago’s best offensive weapon, averaging 22.3 points and eight rebounds per game on 66 percent shooting.

That being said, any team that touts Carlos Boozer as its best offensive weapon isn’t going to contend in the Eastern Conference come playoff time. Which is why it’s crucial for Derrick Rose to find his rhythm here in the coming weeks. It’s only been three games and it’s still a long season, but shooting 29 percent from the floor isn’t going to cut it. People need to realize how incredibly difficult it is to come back from an injury like that after missing more than a year, but Rose also needs to be smarter about his offensive game.

Rose was stroking the ball from 3-point range in the preseason but since he’s struggled putting anything in the bucket so far, he needs to cut down on launching from long range for the time being. He’s taken 15 3-point attempts through three games, which is far too many for a guy who’s only a 31 percent career shooter from downtown anyway. For a guy who hasn’t played in over a year, taking that many 3-pointers isn’t exactly setting yourself up for success.

That’s easier said than done, however, since Rose has looked mortal and almost vulnerable attacking the basket as well. Rose has never been afraid of getting his shot blocked attacking the rim, but more often than not, he’d find ways to adjust in midair and finish. Other than that gamewinner against New York, Rose hasn’t been able to finish over taller defenders. It wasn’t long ago he was regularly nailing rainbow footers over guys like Pau Gasol. Now he’s getting blocked by the likes Tony Wroten in transition:

That’s just one of quite a few examples of Rose trying to do too much and either turning the ball over or getting blocked this season. You’ve got to love his fearlessness after missing a year, but Rose also needs to recognize he’s not back in the groove yet and it’s not something you can force. It has to come naturally. His balls-to-the-wall, pedal-to-the-metal style of play is fantastic to watch, but only when he’s in good form. So far, Rose’s spacial awareness has been a problem on both ends of the floor.

Rose’s defense, which also looked great during the preseason, has been another cause for concern. So far Rose has allowed the likes of Mario Chalmers, Raymond Felton and Michael Carter-Williams to blow by him on defense. Rose has never been a terrific defender, but the kind of penetration he’s giving up to less talented guards is disconcerting and it begins the breakdown of Chicago’s normally imposing defense. Again, that will improve as the season goes on, but for now Rose is still very much trying to find his rhythm on both ends of the floor.

What’s the good news to take from all of this? It’s still early and Rose knows how much he’s struggled. It’s not just about taking the blame for the loss to Philly. Even after his gamewinner against New York, a moment that should have been a resounding triumph for him, he was pretty mellow. He ran back to the bench matter-of-factly and didn’t celebrate. It was like he was acknowledging that before the clutch shot, he was just 6-for-22 from the floor. And as much as Carter-Williams has been a pleasant surprise so far, Rose knows he can’t be outplayed by a guy like that if his team is supposed to be successful. For now, the struggle is real. But it’s a work in progress that will ultimately lead to that breakthrough game Rose is looking for.

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