Finally Healthy, Derrick Rose Making Life Easier for Chicago Bulls Teammates
CHICAGO — For the first time this season, the Chicago Bulls are thinking more about Derrick Rose's production than his health.
The first seven games of the season were an endless round of musical chairs for Tom Thibodeau with key players in and out of the lineup every night. Jimmy Butler missed the first two games of the season, and when he came back, Derrick Rose and Taj Gibson were out. Joakim Noah was ill and missed two games last week.
Most important, Rose’s ankles have been a cloud hanging over the entire team since the second game of the year, with his status changing minute-to-minute.
Even an hour before Monday's game, when Rose was officially listed in the Bulls’ starting lineup, it wasn’t really believable until the United Center lights went down and he was introduced. That’s how much of a guessing game it’s been with him, but he proved to be worth the wait in the night’s 102-91 win over the Detroit Pistons.
It was the first time this season the Bulls have had a full complement of players available, and it was hard not to see the difference, particularly in a dominant first half in which they put up a season-high 60 points.
“I thought that was our best half of basketball [of the season],” Thibodeau said after the game. “The offense, the defense and the rebounding were very good. The challenge for us is to do it for 48 minutes. I thought for the first time having them all together, it was very good.”
For a unit that hadn’t played together at all before Monday, developing consistent chemistry is going to take time. But the win was the Bulls’ most encouraging of the season, providing a glimpse of just how much of a game changer a healthy, explosive Rose can and will be going forward.
He was outstanding, leading the Bulls in scoring with 24 points in 32 minutes and showing no hesitancy to get to the rim.
“It was great to have him on the floor,” Pau Gasol said. "He’s a difference-maker. He’s very explosive and gets to the hole.”
Noah added, “When he’s on the court, he demands attention. It opens up a lot of opportunities for everybody else.”
With Rose out, the Bulls have been able to get by, relying on other players to fill in the gaps. Last year, they had virtually no reliable scoring option when the former MVP went down with a knee injury. This year, they’ve gotten consistent production from Gasol and Aaron Brooks. But those players become even more dangerous playing alongside a player like Rose, who commands a double-team every time down the floor.
“I don’t think anyone in the league can guard him one-on-one,” said Pistons guard D.J. Augustin, who played for the Bulls last year. “That’s why you’ve got to get help from your teammates.”
Against the Milwaukee Bucks last Wednesday, Rose was clearly limited, settling for jump shots. The dynamic, attacking version of Rose that showed up Monday was worth all the uncertainty that has surrounded him this season. He got to the rim whenever he wanted, but he also racked up seven assists and kept his teammates involved.
“He’s going to do that when he’s healthy,” Thibodeau said. “When he has played this year, that is how he’s played. He puts a lot of pressure on the defense, so it was good. He is feeling a lot better.”
The Bulls are still going to be careful with Rose. There will be games where he’ll rest on the second night of a back-to-back or play it safe with minor discomfort. But now that the ankle injury seems to be mostly behind him, the Bulls are ramping up his minutes, which will only build his confidence as the season goes on.
He’s still knocking off the rust, and the only way to do that is to play. Luckily, his body is in a place where his coach and training staff feel comfortable putting him out there.
“If he can go, I think he has to go,” Thibodeau said before the game. “We want to see him put a string of games together.”
Rose playing will not only be good for him, but it should ease the burden on his teammates and get rid of some of the uncertainty around him.
"I think ideally you'd like to know [if you're starting], but [the situation] is not always ideal," said backup point guard Kirk Hinrich, who has started in Rose's place early in the year. "Just try to be ready for everything and whatever's needed of me that night and try to go out and do it. Not change my preparation and how I get ready; just make it the same, get a routine, and hopefully that will have me prepared."
The rest of November will be a crucial test for the newly healthy Bulls. On November 13, they’ll face the Toronto Raptors, their first matchup with a potential playoff contender since an October 31 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Next week, they embark on their first extended road trip of the season, a seven-game stretch that includes games against the Los Angeles Clippers and Portland Trail Blazers, as well as the altitude-pushing Utah-Denver back-to-back. If they can make it through the month with minimal setbacks, they’re in good shape.
The Bulls have a long way to go before the playoffs, and their fortunes can change in an instant with one awkward landing or collision. For now, they’re as healthy as they’ve been since 2012, and that makes life easier for everybody involved.
“It was great to have everyone,” Gasol said. “A full roster available and healthy. I hope we can keep it that way.”
If they can, this team has shown it has the pieces in place to be great.
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