Derrick Rose Is ‘Numb’ To Tom Thibodeau’s Perfectionist Ways
Chicago Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau has established his gritty, hard-nosed identity within the franchise and it translates to their style of play. Thibodeau’s style is defensive-oriented and he’s been known to evoke a perfectionist mentality.
Bulls point guard Derrick Rose tells Joe Cowley of the Chicago-Sun Times that at this point, he’s used to it:
Everybody has their own opinion. As a coach, his standards are going to be high, very high, just knowing who he is. For the team, all we can do is get better every day, get the most out of every day and try to get better individually.
When asked if Thibodeau’s perfectionist ways can become daunting, here was Rose’s reply:
No, I’m numb to it now. I’m used to it. Like [Tuesday], we didn’t even speak about it. We know what we have to do. It’s only one goal, and we can’t let anything get in the way of that goal.
Head coaches often impose their identity on their players and teams, so the Bulls and Rose ought to be used to the grind-it-out, toughness mentality. Chicago has a legitimate chance to take the Eastern Conference this season with Rose healthy and new pieces, but Thibodeau continues to maintain his standard,
I don’t want them to fool themselves,. To me, the big thing is understanding what goes into winning and how you practice and prepare and the work that’s necessary to put into it to get yourself in great shape.
Playing for such a demanding, seemingly stern personality can be tough for some to adapt to. For Rose, it’s simply become part of his fabric as a person, player, and worker. At some point you begin to fully understand what’s expected of you and you attack that role aggressively. Being that Rose is fully “numb” and acclimated, it’s certain that he’s looking forward to leading Thibs’ offense again.
