Derrick Rose, Tom Thibodeau Unhappy With the Refs


Derrick Rose has promised to play more aggressively on the offensive end for his team (and did just that last night in Sacramento), but the Bulls’ point guard and his head coach are less than pleased with the way the referees are treating him. Per ESPN: “Yeah, I think I’ll pass that along to the officials too,’ [Tom Thibodeau] said while discussing Rose’s aggression at the rim. ‘He was in an attack mode right from the start of the game and that’s usually who he is. I thought he set the tone at both ends. He’s got to drive with more force I guess. Sometimes I think him being such a nice guy goes against him too. He’s driving the ball … I think it’s been [in the last two games] four free throws, six free throws, and he’s attacking the basket. He’s getting hit sometimes. We got to have him continue to do it and generate the force and force them to make the call, because right now he’s not getting the call.’ Rose also expressed frustration. ‘I’m kind of mad,’ he said. ‘The refs got me messed up. Late in the game, it threw off my game a little bit. But I told you from the beginning, just attacking the hole. They’re giving me open shots, I’m going to take them. That’s what I tried to do tonight.’ Thibodeau was unhappy that Rose wasn’t getting more whistles on offense. Rose, on the other hand, seemed most displeased with the fact that he was getting too many whistles on the defensive end. Rose, who finished the contest with five fouls, said he has tried to have more of a dialogue with the officials. ‘I try, man,’ he said. ‘I don’t know what it is. Even in preseason. Last year, a couple years [ago] I could go a whole game with one foul. [In the] preseason, they were giving me fouls, I wasn’t even near the play. But that’s something I’ve just got to get through. And that’s something I just can’t worry about.'”