Aaron Brooks or Kirk Hinrich: Who's Ideal Chicago Bulls Backup for Derrick Rose?
Aaron Brooks and Kirk Hinrich can be reserve point guards for any team in the league. Luckily for the Chicago Bulls, they are on the same roster and ready to support returning superstar Derrick Rose at a moment's notice.
Although the 2014-15 NBA season is just underway, head coach Tom Thibodeau will soon have to decide which of his bench guys is going to be his primary relief for the starting point guard. It is a conundrum, but there are probably several other sideline strategists who would love to have that kind of personnel issue.
Rose’s minutes limit adds a little urgency to the situation. Even though he handled the hectic itinerary of the FIBA Basketball World Cup and some closely scheduled preseason games without incident, the regular-season grind is a grander beast.
Keeping consistent with the team’s long-term approach to the former MVP’s return, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune (subscription required) reported that Rose’s playing time will be limited to no more than 34 minutes per game, with no indication given as to how long the restriction will be in place.
Thibodeau is a creature of habit, so having a definite rotation to accommodate this and future variables needs to be established. Both Brooks and Hinrich are good enough to rise to the challenge, but there is room for only one primary backup.
The Comparison
These two have not played enough games for a thorough contrast of the team's performance whenever they are at the helm of the offense, so evaluating these players will have to be based on career production along with in-game strengths and weaknesses. Here is a look at their key numbers to set things up:
| Player | Age | Years | MPG | PPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | AST | STL | REB |
| Aaron Brooks | 29 | 6 | 23.6 | 11.1 | 41.4 | 36.8 | 84.8 | 3.4 | 0.6 | 1.8 |
| Kirk Hinrich | 33 | 11 | 32.3 | 11.8 | 41.3 | 37.7 | 80.2 | 5.2 | 1.2 | 3.1 |
At a glance, the differences from a scoring standpoint are marginal, while the defensive numbers clearly lean in favor of Hinrich. This is not surprising, as the former Kansas Jayhawk was always a solid contributor on both sides of the ball, but his proficiency at containment became his calling card.
Brooks has always been a scoring point guard. His quickness and the ability to create his own shot are highly coveted skills at his position. The six-year veteran has the right tools to fill the offensive void left by the departure of D.J. Augustin.
Picking one of these two to play directly behind Rose requires weighing coaching philosophy against team needs.
It’s no mystery that Thibodeau is a defense-first coach and also very content with familiarity; that would make Hinrich the favorite No. 2 point guard. On the other hand, Chicago’s second unit often struggles to score, especially since no one can create for himself out on the perimeter. When considering that, Brooks becomes the preferred selection.
With solid cases for both, how does one choose? The solution is obvious, actually.
The Choice
If the mission is to bring home title No. 7 for this franchise, then team needs have to trump the status quo. Brooks should be the first point guard to come off of the bench for the Bulls.
Chicago may lose some defensive toughness on the perimeter, but the damage would be minimal and even negated by the offensive gains.
The former Oregon Duck’s skill set fits in very well with both Chicago’s starting and reserving units. Brooks has terrific range with his jump shot. When he penetrates, he can dish to one of many shooters, score the basket and even finish at the line if he draws contact.
His younger, fresher legs would ensure that the tempo doesn’t suffer, making for better continuity. Besides, Hinrich can still log meaningful minutes backing up the now-injured Jimmy Butler at the shooting guard spot.
Thibodeau’s entire head-coaching tenure has been sabotaged by the lack of scoring options. Brooks is no All-Star, but when playing against the other teams’ reserves, he should be able to fill it up.
This club needed offense. General manager Gar Forman went out and got another low-post scorer, added two more shooters and replaced a diminutive offensive spark (Augustin) with a not much taller, but considerably better, half-court facilitator with a penchant for scoring.
The backup point guard spot has been a vital part of the Bulls’ success in their recent Rose-less years. That importance has not changed, even with the hometown hero back in the fold.
In order to have the best chance of winning, the best players need to be on the court. Hinrich has put in some fantastic work, but he is not the better choice. Once the regular-season dust settles and the rotations are tighter, Brooks should be first to relieve Rose night in and night out.
All stats via BasketballReference.com.
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