Derrick Rose’s Aggressiveness Key For Chicago Bulls Title Run
Having a point guard that can do so many different things on the floor like Derrick Rose would be a luxury for pretty much any team in the NBA.
Fortunately for the Chicago Bulls, they have Rose and his versatile scoring arsenal that pairs nicely with his intense demeanor and motor on the defensive side of the ball.
Rose wasn’t always the greatest defender in high school and college, but when coach Tom Thibodeau came to the Bulls, Rose couldn’t get away with saving a lot of his energy for offense and only playing half of the game. Conditioning became an even bigger part of Rose’s workout routine, as he needed to stay energized and focused for 48 minutes a night, capable of playing both ends at an exceptional level.
Rose listened to Thibodeau, and really developed a mindset that wouldn’t let him off the hook for taking a break at any point in the game. Of course, some of that went out the window when he was injured for two seasons straight, as he got off to a rocky start this season trying to get his footing back.
But recently, Rose has started to play with that same brand of physicality that he was known for before he went down.
In fact, his aggressiveness attacking the basket and getting after his man on defense has slowly become the most important motivator for the rest of this Chicago team.
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Many people have been quick to forget just how big of an impact Joakim Noah had for the Bulls last season with the kind of energy that he brings to games night in and night out. Noah is as fierce a competitor as there is in the NBA, and that kind of competitive drive became contagious for a team that was without many different key contributors including Rose.
Many players that were considered to be “benchwarmers” stepped up and played big roles for the Bulls down the stretch.
With Noah having missed a lot of time this season, the Bulls have struggled when there hasn’t been another player fighting with that same kind of energy that Noah has been known to bring to the table. Sure, Pau Gasol and Jimmy Butler have been excellent on the offensive end, with both of them putting up numbers that warrants their selection to the All-Star game, but Gasol has been a finesse player all his life, and Butler still hasn’t been as consistent as a star should be on a nightly basis.
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When the Bulls are playing their best basketball, Rose is at his highest level in terms of getting to the basket. There are so many different parts of the offense that rely on his ability to break down the defense and get into the lane. Without his penetration and drawing of the double team, Butler and Gasol wouldn’t have gotten nearly the same number of great looks that they have this season, same goes for other players like Mike Dunleavy and Nikola Mirotic.
Not only does his aggressiveness lead to easier baskets on offense, but this team needs a motivator to get the other players involved, whether Thibodeau likes it or not. It’s a lot easier to follow someone’s lead than to create one of your own, and that’s not a shot at anyone on the Bulls either. Every team needs a clear leader to step up and lead the charge, and that’s exactly the kind of person that Rose needs to be, especially since Noah is out and looks to be out for the foreseeable future.
This team is completely different when Rose comes out and sets the tone, as was the case in Chicago’s blowout win Thursday night against the San Antonio Spurs. Rose came out and scored 10 of the Bulls’ first 12 points, and all of those makes were on attempts that came at the rim, not from deep.
When he doesn’t come out and have that kind of impact early on to get the offense in motion, this team struggles. The Bulls were built around Rose for a reason. He is the kind of perimeter playmaker that can be the difference between a first round exit and a championship berth.
Keep attacking Rose, your team needs you right now.