Derrick Rose has had a tumultuous career, to say the least. The Chicago Bulls point guard is a former MVP winner but a slew of injuries, starting with a torn ACL, have rendered the years after winning the award disappointing.
Rose has been unable to stay on the floor, playing only 61 games in the past three seasons combined and only 100 in the past four. When he has been on the court, the point guard has been unable to find consistency and has not found the form he had when he won the MVP, albeit with a few flashes of brilliance.
This season started off the same way, with an orbital fracture seemingly bothering Rose’s depth perception. Nearly everyone believed that Rose could never get back to form due to his poor play even when mostly healthy. However, the past two months may have changed that perception.
Not only is Rose mostly able to stay on the court (he has played 48 games already and is on pace for 70 games played for the first time since 2010-11) but he has played very well. Rose’s positive play has led to an increase in confidence, something that can be hugely important as he continues to get better.
Rose spoke to ESPN’s Nick Friedell about his recent play, explaining how he’s been able to get back to this form:
“I just feel like I’m back,” Rose said.
“I’m just out there playing. Whatever I can do to get my team a victory, that’s what I’m going to try to do. When I’m out there, they’re giving me midrange [shots], they’re giving me drives to the lane. Just mixing up my game and trying to play a solid game while I’m out there.”
While Rose has made the same proclamation before and bad luck has reared its head, it feels slightly different this time. The Chicago native has looked completely healthy for the first time in years, showing the quick burst and leaping ability that at one point had him sitting near the top of point guard rankings. If Rose is able to keep building off of that, he could have something special.
For his part, Rose sounds awfully confident that he will be able to get better, even proclaiming that he has improved in aspects that could help him improve from the great play he had as a younger player:
“There’s always room for improvement,” he said. “I don’t know how good I can become. Nobody knows . . . I think it’s an unknown ceiling. The way that I’m playing right now, the shots that I’m taking I didn’t take when I was younger. I’m shooting off glass now. Defense could get a lot better, but I love the way I’m playing offensively.”
There really is no way to predict what can happen with Rose. He is playing his best basketball of the season, trying to will a Bulls team missing Jimmy Butler to the playoffs despite the odds. Yet, at any moment, the injuries could strike again and Rose would have to start from square one. Additionally, there is the question of how Rose and Butler will coexist with the latter having cemented himself as the franchise superstar and rumors of tension between the two guards swarming around the team at various moments.
But for now, Rose can be content with a sustained stretch of great play. This is certainly something to build off of and could hopefully lead to the 27 year old finally getting back to the play that saw him win an MVP award.
