Russell Westbrook: Derrick Rose Looks Like His Old Self

Derrick Rose’s trainer, Rob McClanaghan said he recently worked out Rose and Russell Westbrook together. Both guards showed competitiveness, as any professional athlete would. Westbrook reportedly said Rose looks like his old self—the player he was before the series of unfortunate injuries.

More from Sam Smith via the Chicago Bulls:

“‘He looks like the old Derrick to me,’ said Rob McClanaghan, Rose’s trainer, at the USA Basketball camp in Las Vegas. ‘Now having that full year (back playing), a good playoff run, everything, the mental stuff is back, too. I think everything has come together this summer more than last summer. He’s had momentum going into the summer unlike last year. Mentally, physically, he looks very good. There’s no reason he’s not going to have a good season.

 

‘I worked out Derrick and Russell (Westbrook) together,’ McClanaghan said Tuesday. ‘It’s amazing how competitive those guys are in workouts. Unlike many guys in this league, those guys together push each other. It was like getting back to predraft ’08. Like Russell said (of Rose), everything is back to where it used to be. Derrick’s timing is back and mentally he’s in a very good place.’

 

 

All indications from McClanaghan, who also trains Westbrook, were that the two went explosive first step for explosive first step with no one backing down. Any Rose, Bulls and NBA fan will accept Rose being able to match Westbrook’s acceleration.

 

‘Russell came in and worked with him,’ noted McClanaghan. ‘The first really consistent (dual workouts) in a while and it was really good.'”