NBA Offseason 2011: 5 Things Derrick Rose Is Hopefully Working on This Summer

Even after winning NBA MVP and leading the Chicago Bulls to the franchise's first Conference Finals since the distant Jordan days, Derrick Rose can improve. Most people who know basketball also know that he will improve.

Rose showed last summer that his work ethic matches or even exceeds his incredible athletic ability on the basketball court.

After telling the media that he had been working on his three-point shot all summer, Rose showed that the hard work paid off. Rose hit a career high 128 three-pointers, which was a vast improvement from his 16 three-point shots he had made the previous year.

There's no arguing that Rose is working hard and preparing for the upcoming NBA season (if the lockout doesn't have anything to do about it), but the question is what has he been working on?

5. Ball Protection

Although Derrick Rose averaged a career high 7.7 assists per game, he also averaged 3.4 turnovers per game, which is not what a team wants to see from its point guard.

Elite point guards in the NBA average around 2.5 or more assists/turnover, whereas Rose averaged only 2.24 assists/turnover. Those that claim Chris Paul is still the best point guard in the game can simply point at this statistic and show off Paul's ludicrous 4.42 assists/turnover.

Rose has the skill set to make incredible plays and passes that other point guards cannot, but he often makes poor decisions which lead to turnovers. The one way for Rose to fix this problem is to watch film...a lot of film.

Opponents like to double- and even triple-team Rose, which requires him to get the ball out of his hands quickly. Rose should be working on moving the ball, and moving it fast.

As Rose continues to study his opponents and also study himself, his knowledge of the game will expand and hopefully his decision-making on the court will greatly improve as well.

4. Continue to Work on 3-Point Shot

Even after showing great improvements in his three-point shot last season, Derrick Rose's postseason shooting woes showed that his jump shot is still a work in progress.

Rose, at times, looks brilliant when his shot is on, but he still goes through droughts with his shot. During the postseason, mostly the Miami Heat series, Rose lost his shooting touch and the Bulls went down with him.

Rose's form is fundamentally sound and can definitely become a strength in his game, but this will only come through practice and repetition.

With an even better three-point shot, Rose will be impossible to guard. A point guard with his athletic ability and an effective three-point shot will make Rose a living nightmare for any defender in the NBA.

When Rose's three-point shot is off, defenders can go under the pick and roll, which halts Rose's driving ability.

A strong jump shot will require defenders to chase him, which will consequentially open up the lane for Rose to drive. If there's one thing all Bulls fans can agree on, it's that when Derrick Rose gets to the lane, good things happen.

3. Work on Defense

Tom Thibodeau can make a defense work as long as he gets effort, intensity, and intelligence. The 2010-2011 Chicago Bulls were one of the best defensive teams in the NBA, and Charles Barkley even went on to say that they were one of the best defenses of all time.

Just because it is a great team defense, does not mean that there cannot be individual improvements. Derrick Rose is one of the guys who can make individual improvements. Rose is one of the most gifted athletes in the NBA and could be a great defender, but he needs to make great improvements in his on-the-ball defense.

Rose made Jeff Teague look like a top five point guard in the NBA during the 2011 playoffs, due to his inability to play on-the-ball defense.

He has the ability to be a great defender, but simply looks lost sometimes on the defensive end. To truly improve on the defensive end, Rose needs to work with guys on the team like Keith Bogans and Luol Deng who really know how to stay in front of the guy they're guarding.

2. Work on Getting Calls

One of the reasons why Derrick Rose is such a fan favorite is his calming demeanor. Rose rarely loses his temper and is as cool-headed on the basketball court as you can find in the NBA.

Even though Rose's demeanor is what many look for in a role model, it may hurt his ability to get foul calls during the game. The NBA is a league that looks to put the spotlight on stars that flop and end up on the floor multiple times throughout the game.

The Bulls-Heat series should have showed Rose what getting calls is all about, as LeBron James and Dwayne Wade put on a clinic on how to get to the foul line.

During the 2011 postseason, Kevin Durant mentioned how he had been working on getting to the line, which is something his good friend Derrick Rose should be doing as well.

Rose has such incredible body control that he often avoids all body contact in the air around the basket. James and Wade are incredible basketball players, but one of their biggest strengths is their ability to create contact with defenders and absorb the contact.

After shooting almost 83 percent from the free-throw line last season, it's safe to say that Bulls fans want to see Rose at the line more.

1. Find a Friend

All season long, Bulls fans called for management to upgrade the shooting guard position from Keith Bogans. After a disappointing postseason loss to the Miami Heat, there is no arguing: the Chicago Bulls need a new shooting guard.

During the memorable free agency summer of 2010, Rose mentioned how he was not actively recruiting any of the big free agents. Bulls fans loved this response because it showed that he wanted the Bulls to be his team and he didn't need another superstar for the Bulls to be contenders.

However this offseason, Rose should be getting his cell phone out and calling all of the shooting guards that he can. Having a shooting guard that can create his own shot and score late in games will not only make he Bulls a better team, but it will also take a great deal of pressure off of Rose.

The guy that Rose should be recruiting is former Bull Jamal Crawford. Crawford is a guy that can create his own shot and simply knows how to score. He averaged 14.2 points per game in just over 30 minutes per game.

After winning the 2009-2010 Sixth Man of the Year, Crawford proved that he can score in short amounts of time. Crawford would be the perfect compliment to a great scorer such as Rose.

A Rose-Crawford backcourt would be a disaster for opposing defenses and finally give the Bulls that second scorer that they have been so desperately looking for.

Other potential shooting guard upgrades that have been considered for the Bulls are Aaron Afflalo, Rip Hamilton, J.R. Smith, O.J. Mayo, and Jason Richardson.