Derrick Rose Back To Aggressive Ways, Confident That The Best Has Yet To Come

Just as the concern heightened over the Bulls’ defense, questions regarding Derrick Rose’s play had also.

Coming into Wednesday night’s game against Brooklyn, Rose had taken 46 3’s, connecting on 14 of them since returning from missing four straight games with a left hamstring injury he suffered on Nov. 13. The outside shooting accounted for nearly half of his total shots since coming back from that hamstring injury. Coach Tom Thibodeau had stated that he wanted his point guard to get back to his strength: driving.

In 24 minutes of action in the 105-80 win over the Nets, Rose finished with a game-high 23 points on 8-for-15 shooting, including 3-for-7 shooting from 3-pt range; the makes coming in better rhythm and with better balance. His performance was partly due to anger after he was whistled for two early fouls in the first quarter that earned him a rare technical foul.

“I was just mad and sometimes that brings the best out of me,” said Rose.

“They gave me a lot of open shots, but driving and being in condition to take those shots, that’s a huge key to the way that I’m playing. I think I’m finally getting in great condition and my teammates are knocking down shots for me, so the court is a little (more) open.

To Rose, the outside shots have been in the flow of the game, as defenders are daring him to beat them with the jumper by going under screens on pick and rolls, or they’re cheating way off of him to double the post. On the season, he’s shooting 31.2 percent from 3-pt range, which is his career mark, and knows he will shoot better with having two years off to work on his shot.

“He had a good balance going,” Thibodeau said “I think the aggressiveness going to the basket helped set that up. They were sitting back a little more. He had a good flow to his game. He was into the rhythm of the game by attacking.”

“We’ve seen flashes throughout. What I liked tonight was the stuff he was doing away from the ball. I saw a lot more activity. And for us, that’s great.”

While Rose has been pleased to be able to string some games together, which is surely helping his rhythm, he’s confident that the best is yet to come.

“I told you: Ya’ll are going to be the ones that’s surprised by the way that I’m playing. Just give me a little minute. I know where I’m going to be. I know how good I am and I’m very confident with my craft and how good I am, period. So ya’ll are going to be the ones that’s surprised with the way that I’m going to be playing in a little while.”