Rose ready to take place in center of Bulls' galaxy
Good heavens: Already a star, Rose is ready to take his place in the center of Bulls' galaxy
It was a meaningless exhibition game, an easily forgettable affair that, no doubt, quickly exited the consciousness of the more than 21,000 fans in attendance as soon as it ended.
But if you were paying close attendance before the Bulls' preseason finale against the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday at the United Center, you may well have caught a glimpse of the future.
(Chris Sweda/Sun-Times)
''From Chicago! A 6-3 guard ... DERRICK ROSE!''
Because Kirk Hinrich came off the bench that night, Rose was the last player announced during the pregame introductions, an honor usually given to a team's star.
Hinrich was the final player announced much of the previous four seasons and probably will be again for the regular-season opener tonight against the Bucks. Truth be told, though, the Bulls haven't had a player truly worthy of that honor since Michael Jordan left more than 10 years ago.
Rose, the heralded rookie from Simeon High School and Memphis, could change all that.
Even though he has yet to play his first official NBA game, he already has displayed the skill and court command that led the Bulls to draft him with the first pick in June.
''I watched him all the time in college, and I've watched his games now,'' Bucks coach Scott Skiles said. ''The guy's a star. The sky's the limit for him.''
Skiles, the former Bulls coach who was fired last Christmas Eve, isn't prone to hyperbole, so his glowing scouting report of Rose carries considerable weight.
''He's quick, beyond quick; he's quick and fast, if that makes any sense,'' Skiles said. ''He's powerful, he can go to the rim and finish. He's got a bunch of unique shots in the painted area that he can make, floaters and runners. And that's not even mentioning how he can see the floor and passes the ball.
''He's going to be very hard to handle, there's no question about that.''
The beginning of the regular season is usually about the time that pre-draft hype is replaced by the reality that going from college to the NBA is a major adjustment. But in Rose's case, the hype only has intensified as the opener has drawn closer.
''One of the things Chicago has struggled with ... they have nice players, but they've been inconsistent,'' TNT analyst Doug Collins said. ''There's not that one guy that you can count on every single night. It might be Luol [Deng] one night and then Ben Gordon another night and a Hinrich or [Andres] Nocioni.
''If you're going to be one of the established teams in this league, then you better have a guy every single night that you can count on that is going to play at the highest of levels. I think [Rose is] going to be able to do that.''
Rose has heard all the star talk, but the 20-year-old has had anything but a star's mentality so far. He has been reserved in most of his public comments, and his teammates and coaches always mention his willingness to listen and learn.
''It's been fun,'' Hinrich said of working with Rose. ''Obviously, he's a great player. I enjoy giving him a couple of things to think about while he's out there -- defensively, offensively. He's picked up things quickly. Things have come easily for him.''
Although Rose hasn't been the one touting his talents, he's not bothered by the talk that he is the Bulls' next star.
''I'd like to be the star of the team -- I won't shy away from it,'' he said. ''I'm not surprised to be in the position I am right now. You've been thinking about it all your life. I've got the opportunity to be the best player on the team, so I'm going to take it to my strongest point to become that.''
Rose provided a glimpse of his potential during a preseason victory in Dallas a week ago when he led the Bulls back from a 17-point deficit at the start of the fourth quarter. He repeatedly broke down the defense off the dribble to get in the lane and kept getting up effective shots no matter how big a defender greeted him at the basket.
Perhaps his most impressive basket came on what proved to be the game-winner when he went off script from the play called, beat one defender off the dribble, then pulled up for a one-handed floater over another defender as he drifted out of bounds.
A couple of days later, Rose couldn't completely explain the shot.
''It's just instinct,'' he said. ''In the gym, I always try what I say are stupid shots. I look around and people are saying, 'What is he doing?' But those shots, I rarely take during the game -- but I make almost half of them.''
When asked if the performance in Dallas gave him more confidence, he smiled.
''I can play a little bit,'' he said. ''I just know playing basketball, my job is to go out there and help my team win.''
The Bulls' surprise win in the draft lottery last spring helped Rose avoid the fate of most No. 1 picks -- playing on bad teams devoid of talent -- but resulted in the challenge of playing in his hometown.
So far, that hasn't been an issue, and Rose said having his family around has been a bonus. He bought a luxury suite for tonight's game and let his brother Reggie distribute the tickets. In all, about 35 family members will be in attendance.
''The one thing about Derrick, he pays close attention to detail,'' Reggie Rose said. ''He was in Memphis for only one year, but that helped him mature a lot.''
Being the hometown hero is a role Rose embraces. You may have noticed that he was hailed as being ''from Chicago'' during the pregame introductions. Players usually are identified by their colleges, but the switch wasn't the brainchild of someone from the Bulls' marketing department.
''It was my idea,'' Rose said. ''They asked me about it, I thought about it a while and I finally came up with the decision to announce I'm from here. I've been here my whole life and I was in Memphis only one year, so I think the fans in Memphis will understand.''
The Chicago tag certainly seems appropriate, especially with the way he has been received so far. While it's not anywhere near the bedlam that erupted when Jordan was introduced during the championship era, the cheers for Rose are significantly louder than for any other player.
Whether it's tonight, next month or next season, it seems only a matter of time before he becomes the last Bulls player introduced and the team's unquestioned star.
''The fans are great here,'' he said. ''When the team was losing last year, they were still coming out. I know that when we get back on track and start winning, it's going to be crazy.''