Chicago Bulls: Reviewing Derrick Rose and the Point Guards

As a unit, the Bulls' point guards have put up some impressive stats this season.

Logging 25.5 points per game, the Bulls' point guards are second only to the Oklahoma City Thunder.  They boast the fifth-best three-point percentage at .368 and have the seventh-most free-throw attempts per game.

Defensively, the Chicago Bulls have held opposing point guards to 18.1 points per game, fourth least in the NBA.  Opposing point guards are held to the fifth-lowest shooting percentage of .407 and the fourth-lowest assists number of 7.7 per game.

What makes these stats amazing is that this has been accomplished with their MVP point guard missing almost half the season and their backup point guard missing almost a quarter of the season.  Despite utilizing their third- and fourth-string point guards heavily, the Bulls' point guards are still one of the best statistical squads in the NBA.  If the Bulls can keep this squad together, there won't be many questions at this position in the near future.

Derrick Rose

Overview

Derrick Rose was carrying a lot of momentum coming into his fourth year in the league and wasn't about to let a loss to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals slow him down.  Last year's MVP, Rose was expected to again be the driving force behind a dominant Chicago Bulls team.

Rose has averaged 22.5 points, 7.9 assists, 3.5 rebounds, 0.9 steals and 0.8 blocks per game in 35.6 minutes.  He has played in 37 of the Bulls' 63 games this season.

Highlights

Rose was selected to his third All-Star game, his second time as a starter.  He was named the Eastern Conference Player of the week twice this season.  

He signed a five-year maximum contract extension and also signed a 10-year endorsement deal with Adidas.

Rose's best game of the season was against the Minnesota Timberwolves on January 10, when he scored 31 points on 12-22 shooting and recorded 11 assists, three rebounds, two blocks and a steal.

Struggles

Rose has struggled with his health this season, missing 26 games to various injuries. He missed 16 of the last 19 games and will need work on his conditioning, timing and rhythm for the Bulls to make a push in the playoffs.  Rose struggled coming back from injury against the Heat, with a career low of two points on 1-13 shooting, and was benched down the stretch as CJ Watson ran the show at point.

Outlook

Rose may not be able to get back to his high level of play in the playoffs this year, but that doesn't mean he won't be able to push the Bulls to victories.  He needs to focus on finding his shot, limiting his turnovers and developing a rhythm with his teammates in order to make it far into the playoffs.  Even if he is unable to find his groove in the playoffs, the future is bright in Chicago with Rose at the helm.

CJ Watson

Overview

CJ Watson developed nicely into his role as Rose's backup last season, and Tom Thibodeau relied on Watson to continue to stabilize and lead the Bench Mob.  Of the many luxuries the Chicago Bulls have, the fact that they have a starting PG as their backup may be the greatest.

Watson has averaged 10.1 points, 4.0 assists, 2.1 rebounds, 0.9 steals and 0.2 blocks per game in 23.9 minutes.  He has played in 46 of the Bulls' 63 games and has started in 24 of Rose's 26 absences.

Highlights

Watson has had an excellent year, shooting the three-point shot with a .397.  He attempted to earn an invite to the three-point contest by campaigning but was unable to do so.

He has served well as Rose's replacement throughout various injuries.  In his 24 starts, Watson has averaged 11.7 points, 4.5 assists, 2.5 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 0.3 steals per game in 29.6 minutes.  

His best game of the season was against the Phoenix Suns on January 17, when he scored 23 points on 8-12 shooting, 3-3 from downtown and recorded five assists, four rebounds and two steals while starting in the place of an injured Derrick Rose.

Struggles

Like Rose, Watson has struggled with injuries over this season, mainly affecting his left ankle.  He missed 16 games this season but played well later in the season when filling in for Rose.  He hasn't completely monopolized minutes in Rose's absence, with John Lucas III playing well.

Outlook

Watson has shown himself to be a valuable part of the Bulls' rotation with his three-point shooting and his ability to run the point.  He has a good feel for his teammates and will be extremely valuable as the Bulls look for assistance for Rose as he returns from injury.

John Lucas III

Overview

John Lucas III was a relative unknown going into this season.  Having journeyed through stints in the NBA, playing overseas and the NBA D-League, Lucas found his way back to the NBA with the Chicago Bulls.  Many have been surprised by his play this year, but fans should have seen this coming after he dropped 60 points against Kevin Durant in a Summer League game during the lockout.

Lucas has averaged 7.2 points, 2.2 assists, 1.5 rebounds and 0.4 steals in 14.5 minutes.  He has played in 48 of the Bulls' 63 games and started two games during injuries to Derrick Rose and CJ Watson.

Highlights

Lucas has provided scoring off the bench and has shot .391 from three-point.  He has proven to be lightning in a bottle at various points throughout the season.

In his two starts, he averaged 16.5 points, five assists, 4.5 rebounds and one steal per game.

Lucas' best game was against the Washington Wizards on January 11, when he scored 25 points on 11-28 shooting and recorded eight assists, eight rebounds and one steal.  By the end of 46 minutes of playing time, he was exhausted and rubber-legged, but this was a big game for the veteran.

Struggles

Lucas' two biggest struggles are unchangeable.  First, he backs up two superior guards.  Rose is better in every area of the game.  Watson is a better distributor and an equal scorer.  Lucas will not beat Rose or Watson out for playing time but is a great backup.  Second, he is short.  At 5'11", Lucas is simply unable to stop bigger guards, regardless of all the heart he plays with.

Outlook

Lucas is a third-string point guard and may have very little impact on the future of the Bulls.  That being said, he has proven to be a more-than-capable third-string guard and is never afraid to look for his shot.  He demands that defenses take him seriously when he has the ball and does not allow them to take a break when Rose and Watson are sitting, and that is more than any of us could ask of our backup's backup.  I was a skeptic of Lucas at the beginning of the season, but he's made me a believer.

Mike James

Overview

Mike James was given a few looks with 10-day contracts and was eventually signed for the remainder of the season as an insurance policy if Derrick Rose continues to miss time with injuries.  James is a veteran point guard who contributes a good locker room presence.

He has averaged 4.3 points, 2.5 assists, 0.8 rebounds, 0.3 steals and 0.2 blocks per game in 9.6 minutes.  He has only played in 10 games for the Bulls this season.  

Highlights

James has mainly been used for defensive purposes when Rose has been injured, CJ Watson needed a breather and John Lucas III was too short to provide adequate defense against an opponent point guard.  That being said, he embodies the always-ready mentality of the Chicago Bulls bench and plays hard whenever he is called upon.

His best game came against the New Jersey Nets on February 18, when he scored 16 points on 6-13 shooting and recorded seven assists and three rebounds.

Though James is very limited in playing time, he is shooting .500 from three-point land and can knock down shots if left open.

Struggles

The biggest struggle for James would be playing time, but he wasn't signed to log a lot of minutes.  He has been ready when called upon and plays hard when he gets time.

Outlook

A fourth-string point guard, James just needs to be ready for his playing time and needs to provide enthusiasm from the bench.  He may not see a single minute in the playoffs but can still provide good energy from the sideline.

Point Guard Unit

As a unit, the Bulls' point guards have put up some impressive stats this season.

Logging 25.5 points per game, the Bulls' point guards are second only to the Oklahoma City Thunder.  They boast the fifth-best three-point percentage at .368 and have the seventh-most free-throw attempts per game.

Defensively, the Chicago Bulls have held opposing point guards to 18.1 points per game, fourth least in the NBA.  Opposing point guards are held to the fifth-lowest shooting percentage of .407 and the fourth-lowest assists number of 7.7 per game.

What makes these stats amazing is that this has been accomplished with their MVP point guard missing almost half the season and their backup point guard missing almost a quarter of the season.  Despite utilizing their third- and fourth-string point guards heavily, the Bulls' point guards are still one of the best statistical squads in the NBA.  If the Bulls can keep this squad together, there won't be many questions at this position in the near future.