Jan 25, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose (1) drives to the basket against the Miami Heat during the second half at the United Center. The Miami Heat defeated the Chicago Bulls 96-84. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
#3 – Derrick Rose
Rose has been frustrating to watch at times this season because of his inconsistency.
Some games, he’d finish with 29 points and 10 assists while shooting 60% from the field, all while continuously driving to the rim, attacking the basket. And then other games we get the Derrick Rose who finishes with 4 points on 2-15 shooting, settling for poor jumpshots and a three-point game (0-5) that didn’t seem to exist.
Fortunately, Rose, who is averaging 18.2 points, 5 assists and 3 rebounds per game, has been playing more like the old Derrick Rose recently. In his last six games, Rose has averaged 24 points, and is driving to the rim constantly.
Whenever Rose has a game where he is getting to the rim several times, it creates many more opportunities for him and his teammates. It forces defenders to collapse, which can leave a man wide open, it allows Rose to take better shots from beyond the arc if defenders need to take a step back, and it allows him to shoot high-percentage shots when he’s close to the rim.
One of the biggest areas where Rose has struggled this year has been with three-pointers, shooting 5.4 a game on just 32% this season. This seems to be another area where Rose may have finally hit his stride, because in the last six games, Rose has shot 57% from beyond the arc on 41 attempts. Bulls fans can only hope that this hot streak from Rose continues, as he is a crucial piece in the Bulls’ championship puzzle.