He generates the offense off the bounce
It’s no secret that Derrick Rose is a powerful force when heading to the basket. The explosion and balance shown attacking the rim is still a major asset in his game after the constant leg injuries. As the leader of the Bulls, understanding the most viable ways to generate offense has to come from the former MVP.
With Kyrie Irving facing issues in both his leg and feet, Rose has to take advantage.
Kyrie Irving is dealing with a sore left leg in addition to a right foot sprain. http://t.co/Tm4iDQ79rr pic.twitter.com/opJ63WvEYG
— theScore (@theScore) May 11, 2015
Irving isn’t the best perimeter defender to begin with. While his perimeter and mid range shooting have been needed to complement his overall offensive attack, Rose can dominate off the dribble. Cleveland does not have a counter to Rose’s driving tendencies on the perimeter. However, Timofey Mozgov has been the solution down low to handle Rose’s attack on the basket at times.
Irving is hobbled, Matthew Dellavadova is an offensive perimeter oriented player, and matching up with length presents matchup problems elsewhere. Rose, at 6’3″, operates with a bigger and more durable frame than his opposing tandem.
Rose revolutionized the hyper-physical point guard mold in 2011 during his MVP season and despite losing minimal burst, has finished multiple plays at the rim and over behemoths in the paint.
"“There are not many like him,” said coach Tom Thibodeau per USA Today after game three. “As a matter of fact, there’s probably not anyone who combines the speed, the quickness, the power.”"
If the production comes up short down low, as has been the case recently for the Bulls, Rose needs to pose as a threat to both Tristan Thompson and Mozgov.
Next: Help the Big Men Down Low