Rose’s game does the talking
It seemed like clockwork.
Every year while her son, Derrick, was in grade school in Chicago, Brenda Rose would get a phone call from one of his teachers. It wasn’t that Derrick had any disciplinary problems. And it wasn’t because he was struggling academically.
“My teachers would almost hate me because I rarely talked or asked questions,’’ said Rose, the Chicago Bulls’ gifted young point guard. “So they would call my mother and talk to her about that.
“They never said anything about my grades; I usually got good grades. They were wondering why I stayed to myself and didn’t talk much.’’
Now, at the age of 21, Rose is pretty much the same person. He is still rather introverted and, if he had his druthers, wouldn’t spend a lot of time conversing.
Some observers have misinterpreted Rose’s aloofness as arrogance. Nothing could be further from the truth, Rose said.
“I am shy,’’ Rose said. “I always have been. I like to stick to myself. I don’t know why I’m like that, but that’s just the way I am.
“I could probably go without talking all day. I know there are guys (in the NBA) that are always talking, that are always active. I’m not like that.’’
Rose is a man of few words on the basketball court as well. Trash-talking isn’t a part of his game. He lets his game do the talking.
Last season, as a rookie, Rose’s exquisite game spoke volumes. He more lived up to the immense hype that was heaped on him after being the No. 1 overall selection in the 2008 NBA draft. Rose averaged 16.8 points and 6.3 assists en route to Rookie of the Year honors.
More importantly, Rose was highly instrumental in the Bulls advancing to the Eastern Conference playoffs where, against the Celtics in the opening round, he was simply spectacular. Rose seemingly did everything in that electrifying seven-game series, averaging 19.7 points, 6.4 assists and 6.3 rebounds.
It was the type of prime-time performance most players would talk about for the rest of the summer. Rose isn’t like most players. His Bulls were eliminated from the playoffs. Their season had, in Rose’s humble opinion, ended prematurely.
It wasn’t the way Rose was accustomed to having his basketball seasons end. After all, throughout his entire athletic career, he’s been a winner. He won championships in grade school. He won two Illinois Class AA state championships at Simeon High School. In his one season at Memphis, the Tigers advanced to the NCAA title game.
So, when the Bulls failed to advance beyond the first round of the playoffs last season, a bitter taste formed in his mouth.
“It was definitely tough, really tough,’’ Rose said. “I wasn’t used to losing; I’ve been used to being in the championship and then not to be in it was …
“But I came to realize we still need a couple of more pieces for our team to be an NBA-championship caliber team.’’
Rose isn’t about to boldly predict the current Bulls are title bound, but he firmly believes they are on the right track to becoming a title contender. Winning an NBA title, Rose said, is almost an obsession with him.
“Most definitely, I want to win an NBA championship,’’ Rose said. “People remember you first as a person, whether you were a good person.’’
“Then, as a player, people remember you for whether you won a championship. I want to be remembered as good person and someone who won an NBA championship.’’
Rose could also be remembered as one of the premier point guards Dr. Naismith’s game has ever witnessed. Lindsey Hunter, Rose’s veteran teammate, contends Rose possesses all the necessary ingredients to be a special player.
“Derrick has the potential to be ‘The Guy’ when you talk about point guards,’’ said Hunter, now in his 17th NBA season. “He has the size, he has the agility, he has the playmaking abilities.
“And he has that ‘It’ factor, just like LeBron has the ‘It’ factor.’’
Rose hasn’t exhibited “It’’ as much as he’s wanted to this season. But there’s a viable reason for that. During a preseason game against the Indiana Pacers, Rose pulled a tendon in his right ankle.
Rose conceded the injury was “very painful’’ and that’s he’s still not 100 percent healthy. Yet, in recent games, Rose is starting to flash the form he displayed in last year’s playoffs.
In six of the Bulls’ last seven games, Rose has scored at least 19 points. He totaled 28 against Denver.
Naturally, Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro is delighted Rose is almost back to being his old self.
“He’s starting to get his leg under him again,’’ Del Negro said. “That explosion is back a little bit. Those are encouraging signs.’’
Del Negro knows as well as anyone how important Rose is to the Bulls’ fortunes, although he doesn’t want to place any undue expectations on him.
“People tend to forget that Derrick’s 21 years old,’’ Del Negro said. “He’s still a very young player. People don’t tend to be patient, especially in pro sports. It takes time, especially at the point guard position.
“But Derrick is a competitor; he wants to everything right. And he wants to win.’’
Without having to say a word.
Porky Said,
December 3, 2009 @ 8:08 am
Rose is good and one day may be nearly as good as Rajon Rondo.
Jason Said,
December 3, 2009 @ 10:39 am
Are you serious? Rondo is a great defender playing with GREAT players which makes him look better than he really is. That whole Chris Paul episode was stupid. Rings aside, as a player Rondo is not in Paul’s league. Imagine if Paul ran the point for the Celts and Vice versa. Rondo would be exposed on a mediocre team. Rose > Rondo.
rapsfan Said,
December 3, 2009 @ 11:57 am
Rose is already close to Rondo, and will surpass him in the next three years. Rondo is close to as good as he will ever be unless he learns a jump shot. Rose has all the tools and will only get better.
DenverFan Said,
December 3, 2009 @ 12:47 pm
Rose is a much better PG than Rondo will ever be. Rose elevates the people around him. Rondo’s game is elevated because the great team he already has. KG, Peirce and Ray. I wonder how inflated Rose’s stats would be.
Porky Said,
December 3, 2009 @ 3:09 pm
“Rings aside”. Uh (or should I say duh)- that is the WHOLE point of hoop for serious players and fans. Rondo has a ring. Deal with it. He is superior to those without one. Period. Rings = greatness. No rings = losers…like those who posted after me and tried to defy my total logic.
Vorgs Said,
December 3, 2009 @ 3:30 pm
So if Gary Payton never won a ring would you say he was a loser? I think your “No rings = losers” is flawed. There has been many great players who never won a ring, would you like to tell Charles Barkley he is a loser, he quite clearly was not…….
Earl Said,
December 3, 2009 @ 3:39 pm
With that way of thinking, they would mean Darko is better than Melo since Darko has a ring and Melo does not.
Porky Said,
December 3, 2009 @ 3:47 pm
Come one people. Rondo is not a Donnie Darko, etc. He is an All Star PG, leading the Celts to the RING they have…and at least one more to go in this current decade. Why are you dissing him? Is it because your teams suck?
Skraight up Said,
December 3, 2009 @ 3:49 pm
PORKY…take it easy..
I agree that Rondo has a ring, but in saying that does it make him superior to pg’s without one? KG, PP, Ray Ray are all on that team and frankly it only help Rondo hide his weaknesses. Give CP, or D Rose that team and they acend to another level. Lot’s of players in the league have rings and haven’t done a darn thing to earn them. Having said that, Rondo has been a great peice of that puzzle for that team, but he’s not on the same level as Rose and Paul. Those guys can carry a team, Rondo simply “fits” into the scheme of Boston with the big three. He’ll be exposed when those three guys leave, cause… 1.) He won’t get the same respect that he’s given now with three all-stars gone. 2.) He can’t shoot 3.) His leadership skills are purely based on pressure & guidence that he receives from their big three. In other words, he’ll be lost when those guys leave that team.
Rings = Greatness? Adam Morrison got a ring last year…is he great?
slamfan4life Said,
December 3, 2009 @ 4:57 pm
I hate Rondo so much, but he’s hella good; and i cant deny that.
But Rose is just nuts, defensively Rondo has it all
But over-all?
Rose is better
and that Ring conspiracy can also include AI,LeBron,Melo,T-mac
all great players that deserve a ring
C Said,
December 3, 2009 @ 5:02 pm
rondo won a championship with 3 hall of famers…wow…so maybe we should argue that derek fisher is one of the top NBA point guards as well using that logic…shoot he only had 2 hall of famers on his team! chris paul and d-rose are fantastic point guards…rondo is above average
Kraven Said,
December 3, 2009 @ 5:11 pm
Thank you, Skraight up. Could not have said it any better.
mok Said,
December 3, 2009 @ 5:32 pm
Sun Yue must be greater than James, Melo, Roy, Bosh, Nash, Paul, Nowitski (combined) because he has a ring. Really dumb arguement porkey give it up
Mark Norman Said,
December 4, 2009 @ 12:27 am
Derrick’s performance against the Celtics as a rookie in last years playoffs speaks for itself. However, defensively he still has a ways to go(although he is improving). Big thing is he does not have a mentor/excellent coach to lead him. Also the Bulls offensive sets/plays are awful. Top that off with no post presence, and he’s playing at a severe disadvantage. If Derrick gets a better coach and offensive system that will help a lot.The thing is with Rose size, strength, and freaked athleticism, if he could harness those powers on the D end he would be the shit period. In transition when he pushes the ball aggressively he’s unstoppable no matter who’s around him. The big questions are will he get the coach soon in his formative period, will he be able to harness his gifts defensively, and will he get the all-star to pair with along with other personnel upgrades?
son Said,
December 4, 2009 @ 12:32 am
“No ring = Loser” oh GOD! what will John Stockton say when he see your comment Porky. John Stockton is not a loser, he’s a winner even though he didn’t win any ring.
@mok yah if that was porky’s logic, i agree with you that Sun Yue is greater than James, Melo, Roy, Bosh, Nash, Paul, Nowitzki and his fellow countrymen Yao, and Yi.
Rose is better than Rondo. Final!
dabulls Said,
December 4, 2009 @ 3:21 am
porky clearly doesn’t understand the nba.
Ryan Said,
December 4, 2009 @ 4:12 am
Put Rondo on the clippers and see how he plays. Put Rose in Boston and he’ll be an All Star. You can only compare skills and Rose has way more talent than Rondo.
James Said,
December 4, 2009 @ 5:26 am
Ha, ok porky. by your standards, Robert Horry is the greatest player of our generation. You even said it yourself, “why you hating, your team sucks?”
1- all star point guard doesn’t mean swat. Deron Williams probably the second best PG in the west has never been to an all-star. that is how much weight i hold of being an all-star.
Come on, Rondo is good but really? I’ll say this, Rondo is one leg injury away from becoming a terrible point guard with a broken jumper.
Porky Said,
December 4, 2009 @ 11:14 am
To all the misfits who posted against me I say this:
Its a case of mind over matter. I dont mind…I you dont matter.
Porky
PS: Rondo leads the win against the Spurs last nite…my proof continues.
mok Said,
December 4, 2009 @ 12:42 pm
lol Porkey!!! Seriously you are a flake. How is everyone else here a missfit if you are the only one arguing against everyone else. I guess your the only normal person in here (sarcasm). We have proven your Logic is flawed. Rondo is a good point guard but has a lot lower ceiling than Rose does. Just because Rondo has 1 ring doesnt mean he is more talented than Rose. Rondo has been blessed with 4 Body guards to have his back, Rose has a little less backup than Rondo.
Porky Said,
December 4, 2009 @ 1:42 pm
I paste the following treatise and could not say it better myself:
Lion Face: Rajon Rondo
In case you didn’t remember, Rajon Rondo is 23 years old. He’ll be 24 in February. Think about that for a second. OK, now stop thinking about it and hum the theme to Growing Pains for a bit. Now go back to thinking about how young Rajon Rondo is. He’s arguably the best defensive point guard in the NBA, right? At the age of 23? Think about how difficult it is going to be to score against him when he’s 27. You can say that he can’t shoot. And you can say that he isn’t a good enough scorer to be considered elite. Or go ahead and talk about how he wouldn’t be this good without his Boston teammates around him. But none of that matters because he’s basically Agent Smith in Matrix. He can bend the laws of physics to be quicker than you. Maybe someone will come along someday that proves to be his Neo but until that happens, he’ll just be wrecking shop in the NBA and shutting every point guard down who is arrogant enough to think they can score on him. He’s insane.
Derrick Said,
December 4, 2009 @ 4:42 pm
The argument here became how good is Rajon Rondo….I like him too, but the article was about Derrick Rose, so I say I I liked it very much, because after reading it I can understand better who the player is, as a person, not only as a player. Rose’s play is concrete, tough, nothing he does is for the highlights or for the stats, he only wants to win and to become always a better player. He is 21 years old, but he already has the maturity to be one of the best player in the game.
ddddd Said,
December 4, 2009 @ 5:45 pm
Hey Porky… Buddy ol pal and the rest of y’all
I think we are comparing apples and oranges here. Rondo has the big 3 and a ring. CP3, Rose, DWill etc… do not have the big 3.
I like to think of Steve Nash in this case. When Nash was in Dallas he was an excellent point guard, but not spectacular in most senses of the word. When Nash got to Phoenix he won 2 mvps. Theoretically Nash should have been worse in his 2 years in Phoenix that he won the MVP than he was his last 2 years in Dallas due to age, but that was clearly not the case. Nash doesnt have a ring. The Phoenix offense and Nash’s ability to take advantage of that offense is what made Nash MVP, not his skill set.
If a person were to put Rondo in a situation in which he didn’t feel capable of succeeding and responded as so then yes…. Rondo is worse… However look at the offense and how adaptable the pg is before you get into this match of whos better than who.
Skraight up Said,
December 5, 2009 @ 1:21 am
Also people keep in mind that Rondo is allowed to gamble defensively, and pressure the ball a lot more knowing that he has KG and big Perk behind him to help. This in fact does help the perception that he is such a good defensive player. He’s a solid defender, but without the “bigs” that Boston has behind him, he’s a bit above average.
C Said,
December 5, 2009 @ 1:30 pm
skraight up beat me to it…..Rondo can definitely feel confident and gamble..wouldn’t you if you perkins and garnett had your back??? may inflate his stats a bit…that said he is a terrific defender….moving on to offense…he gets a lot of assists…by passing the ball to whom? hmmm ray allen, paul pierce and kevin garnett….who does rose throw it to? uhh…joakim noah? luol deng when healthy? john salmons? tyrus thomas hahaha…..
rondo is GREAT at ONE thing…playing to his limits…he does not try to force things….he knows exactly what he needs to do and fills his role well…he doesn’t pull an iverson or marbury and jack shots all day…he plays in control…he does not, however, carry the team…
he may be great at two things actually….he did a pretty nice job of throwing hinrich into the scorers table without getting suspended
di909 Said,
December 5, 2009 @ 9:51 pm
Prorky does not know anything about basketball or for that matter LOGIC! Rondo is not even in the top 5 point guards in the NBA… I would take JJ Barea or however you spell his name (lil guy on dallas) over him any day of the week… and as C said above.. hes amazing at one thing… raping Brad Miller and not gettin a flagrent… and throwing hinrich into the table with agian not getting a flagrent… any1 watching the bulls boston series last season know that ROSE MURDERED RONDO and that THE BULLS SHOULD HAVE WON… IM SAYING THIS AND I DONT EVEN LIKE THE BULSS
Mike Senga Said,
December 7, 2009 @ 6:34 am
Ring or no ring. From individual abilities and capabilities Rose is SUPERIOR and better than Rondo. There shouldn’t be a debate about this!
Porky Said,
December 7, 2009 @ 2:34 pm
LOL.
I win all the arguments in this posting thread simply because I was able to change the entire topic from Rose to Rondo. That takes intelligence, guts and intestinal fortitude.
Thank you. Your welcome.
Porky
GloriousBullsFan Said,
December 8, 2009 @ 8:13 am
Can’t wait till we get Wade/Amare or Bosh. This kid will flourish when he gets the right help.
Socrates of Basketball Said,
December 10, 2009 @ 11:15 am
Porky…you’re a clown. I bet you didn’t even play grade school ball.
Rose is an atheltic and extremely talented point gaurd. It is rare that true basketball fans get the chance to witness his kinds of abilities. My hope is that he keeps this competitive drive and stays devoted to improving every year(unlike the Steve Francis’ of the world). His jumper is really the only thing he is missing to becoming a complete player. His individual progression throughout his career in the NBA will be superb, and it won’t all be for nothing if he doesn’t win a championship. But if he may need to consider jumping ship on the Bulls if he wants to win a championship. If management couldn’t find a way to keep Micheal, Scottie, and Phil then they definitely aren’t going to be able to put together a championship team to allow Rose to reach his ultimate goal.