Derrick Rose and Carlos Boozer: Are They Becoming the NBA's Elite Tandem?

If you've been watching the Chicago Bulls, you might have noticed that the chemistry between Derrick Rose and Carlos Boozer is becoming special. In fact, over the last five games, the two have combined for an average of almost 45.4 points, 13.2 assists and 16 rebounds per game, or a total of 75.4 total stats. 

I thought I'd check it against some of the other elite tandems in the NBA and see how they compare with their seasons. Here's how they stack up. I have bolded the top tandem in each category. 

Tandem	Points	Rebounds	Assists	Total Stats
Derrick Rose and Carlos Boozer	45.4	16.0	13.2	75.4
Russel Westbrook and Kevin Durant	50.3	11.3	11.6	73.2
LeBron James and Dwyane Wade	47.0	12.9	11.5	71.4
Raymond Felton and Amar'e Stoudamire	44.6	13.2	11.7	69.5
Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol	45.3	16.1	7.9	69.3
Chris Bosh and LeBron James	42.5	14.4	9.0	65.9
Derron Williams and Paul Millsap	40.3	12.1	12.0	64.4

Now, I'll grant you that it is unorthodox to compare five games of stats with full season stats for the other players. I concede that point. However, the fact is that Rose and Boozer had no preseason together and didn't even play together until the game against Orlando (a game that was Boozer's first actual game since last spring). Therefore, it's not really accurate to compare his full season stats either. 

When you consider that in two of the games in the last five both players sat out the entire fourth quarter, it's possible that those totals will go up rather than down.

The chemistry they are developing is noticeable when comparing the last five to their combined season total of 43.4 points, 10.7 assists and 12.8 rebounds for 66.9 total stats. You can see the chemistry improvement specifically in the increase in assists, 2.5 more per game.

Overall, it seems that, while it's premature to call them the most elite tandem in the NBA (in my opinion that distinction belongs to Kobe and Pau), it's not too soon to say that they have worked their way into the conversation. 

Is it any wonder that over those five games the Bulls are 4-1 with an average point differential of 20 in their favor? Granted there was the loss to the Clippers as they adjusted to the loss of Joakim Noah, but the tandem's success is translating directly into team success. 

The Christmas day matchup against the Knicks offers an opportunity to see the other new elite inside-out tandem of Stoudamire and Felton. It'll be another chance to see Chicago's dynamic duo match up against another. They've already eclipsed Pau and Kobe and Westbrook and Durant recently. Continuing to beat the other elite duos is the best argument the new pair can make that they belong with the elite.