There is no denying that the expectations of the Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose are extremely high. Entering the new NBA season on the back of an average FIBA World Cup, all eyes will be on Rose to see just how well he can return — for the second time.
Rose’s struggles as he represented Team USA were very well noted. As he made the first steps back from his “second return” (after a less than stellar and ultimately failed comeback during the NBA regular season last year), he looked out of sync a lot of the time and it appeared as though his shaky jumpshot had gotten even worse. Rose shot a paltry 15-for-59 for the tournament and averaged just 4.8 points per game. The haters pointed to this as justification for their lack of empathy. After all, most players when returning from ACL or knee injuries, do so with a markedly improved shot — since that’s all they can work on. Not Rose though.
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Since the FIBA World Cup, there have been plenty of barbs thrown the point guard’s way. He has done his best to not pay them any mind and to dull down the expectations placed upon him, but there is no denying that a large portion of the basketball world are expecting big things.
The Chicago Bulls went out and grabbed Pau Gasol to replace the amnestied Carlos Boozer and this, coupled with a healthy Rose, has many thinking Eastern Conference Finals. In order to do that though, they have to gel, stay healthy and Rose needs to “star.”
So why are there such high expectations of Rose as his re-return? Is it because he is the youngest ever player to win the NBA’s highest individual honor (Most Valuable Player) at just 22 years of age? Is it because the passionate fan base in Chicago want to return to the “glory days” of the Jordan era or even at the high of the resurgent Rose era in 2011 when the Bulls went 62-20 over the course of the regular season and the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference?
Whatever the reason, fans on both sides of the fence need to be a little more realistic. After all, there are nowhere near the same expectations placed on Danilo Gallinari or Rajon Rondo who are both returning from ACL injuries as well. Rose had a poor FIBA tournament, but there were some flashes of the “old” Derrick.
And, as he aims to make his return over the course of the new NBA season, things are only going to get better. You need to play games to really get back to your best. The good news for Bulls fans is that Rose has seven months to find his form and to play himself into full fitness.
The regular season is important, but the main aim is to have everything coming together at the pointy end of the season. Even getting Pau Gasol acclimatised to the Chicago Bulls system is going to take time, not to mention others like Aaron Brooks, Nikola Mirotic and rookie Doug McDermott.
Over the course of 82 regular season games, the Bulls with start to get used to each other, identify the strengths and weaknesses of each other and generally get a better feel for the processes in place. Even the “superteams” like Miami took time to mesh.
The NBA is a better competition when the stars are on the floor. This season we will welcome back plenty of star power in Kobe Bryant, Rajon Rondo, Al Horford and Derrick Rose. Temper your expectations for now and hopefully you will be pleasantly surprised by season’s end. Derrick Rose is far too talented and works much too hard to not make it back to the top — in time.