Wednesday, December 28th, 2011 at 12:40 pm  |  58 responses

Derrick Rose to Start Taking More Shots Early in Games


Derrick Rose came into the season looking to lay in the weeds and set up his teammates at the start of games, but that strategy isn’t working out very well for the Chicago Bulls so far. Rose promises to change this approach. From the Tribune: “We have to get our offense going so we can get easy baskets,’ Rose said. ‘That’s what I’m real concerned about. Last year, we rarely got easy baskets. This year, we have to find a way.’ During training camp, Rose had talked about deferring more, particularly with the addition of Richard Hamilton. Look for that to change Thursday in Sacramento. ‘In the first quarter I have to establish myself a little more,’ Rose said. ‘I see that being laid-back is just not doing it. I think both games in the first quarter I shot the ball just one or two times. So next game, I have to change it up.’ Rose is 1-for-4 in the first quarters of the first two games. More alarming, he has attempted just four free throws in the first two games and went the first six quarters without going to the line once. ‘I have to push the ball, get to the rim, be more aggressive,’ Rose said. ‘We tend to slow the ball down a little bit, getting a feel for how we’re playing. I really haven’t caught on to it yet.’”

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  • shutup

    you said ones a playmaker and the other makes plays, I think many considered Iverson to be a playmaker in his own right. I think your description of Iverson and Rose is very similiar, and i know they arent exactly the same player but their games are closer to each others than you let on

  • Mike From Spain

    If I may intrude, even from my relative ignorance I can see that Iverson had more of a scorer mentality, and Rose is… playing as a scorer in spite of himself. A bit like Rondo in the MSG the other day, when the Celtics were Paul Pierce-less… Rondo shouldered the scoring load but it is not what he normally tends to do. Rose shoulders the scoring load because he has to (and has the talent), but I think he’s got another mindset.

  • AQWORD

    nbk broke it down

  • shutup

    So I verson didnt have to shoulder the load? who else was gonna put up buckets ? Dikemebe? Snow? Honestly I cant even remember who was on his team at the time, maybe Keith Van Horn…..dont feel like google it

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    Iverson was always a scorer first. Even in Denver. As a matter of fact, his last full year there he was still scoring more than Melo. You can be a scorer and shoulder the playmaking load. Explaining this makes me feel like i’m talking to a small child. You didn’t see how Jordan and Kobe have had to carry both those loads? Or LeBron? Or Wade? Or McGrady? How bout Arenas? Maybe you watched Derrick Rose last season? No, hmm have you seen Deron Williams in New Jersey yet? Have you ever watched NBA basketball?

  • http://knicks.com Gametimeweezy

    Please don’t underestimate Iverson like that. The numbers Rose put up last year, the Answer was doing that as a rookie. Playmaker/scorer same thing when you’re talking about two scoring points that average 25 and 7. The only real difference between the two at this stage of their career is 3 inches and about 30 pounds. Besides that, maybe they are quite similar.
    But I hear you although the ‘playmakers’ you are talking about was Stephon Marbury. He was the one really dropping dimes and setting up teammates. Deron Williams is very similar to that. Even Kevin Johnson played the 2 when Jason Kidd went to Phoenix.
    All scoring point guards are very similar in skillset, biggest difference is on-court demeanor, and/or a concerted effort to accomplish ‘what’ for their coach.
    Rose is to Iverson as Williams is to Marbury? maybe?

  • IAMORANGE4EVER

    Rose is a volume shooter just like Allen Iverson, and it’s highly unlikely he’ll ever lead his team to a championship playing the point that way. Watching the Bulls last year so reminded me of watching the 2000-01 Philadelphia 76ers, a good defensive team coached by Larry Brown with Allen Iverson, who won MVP that year, dominating the ball at the offensive end. It’s been said by others on ESPN as well. I think even Scoop Jackson or perhaps Chris Brousard agreed with Skip Bayless regarding this comparison on First Take last season while the Bulls were playing the Pacers in the first round. Rose is still young though…he’s still got time for his game to mature.

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    No Rose is not a volume shooter like Iverson. That is just flat out wrong. Iverson shot more shots at a lower % then Rose. Because Rose has way way better shot selection. The only reason Rose’s shot total was so high last season, is because he has to bail his team out when they get nothing in their offense. So he shoots 3-4 shots a game at the end of the clock that increases his attempts and lowers his %. Too see how Rose really would be as a player you can just look at his rookie season when he was shooting like 15 shots a game on .475% shooting. He was not the main offensive option on that team and got too pick his spots. Which is a role a volume shooter would never be able to fit into.

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