by Marcel Mutoni / @ marcel_mutoni
Boosted by Derrick Rose’s return to the lineup following an 18-month absence, the Chicago Bulls went 8-0 during the preseason and appear poised to be serious NBA title contenders.
The superstar point guard is encouraged by what he’s been able to do so far, but the former MVP sees plenty of room for improvement.
Derrick Rose explains the evolution in his game, and warns the rest of the League of what’s to come once the regular season begins Tuesday night.
Per the Chicago Sun-Times:
“I bet I surprised a lot of people, but at the same time, I know how hard I worked in the offseason just to get back on the court,” Rose said. “My hard work is paying off. I’m not in my groove yet, but I’m still able to go out there and control the game a little bit. I guess when I get back into my groove, it’s really going to be scary.”
“I think then I was just running,” Rose said of the way he used to play. “[Now, I’m] just controlling the game as a point guard, instead of just coming down. I think I’m shooting less shots this year, getting to the line more, just being smarter, being more efficient. I think [previous years] I was just coming down, jacking shots sometimes. But this year, that’s going to change.”
Derrick Rose averaged 20.7 points, handed out 5 assists, and most impressively, shot a blistering 44% from three-point range during the exhibition season. All of that from a guy who wasn’t playing at full speed, and still rounding into game shape.
Scary, indeed.
