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The media had their first of Chicago Bull guard Derrick Rose on a basketball court Friday. Of course, he was mostly posing for photos and answering questions at the team’s annual media day, so certain quetions remain.
Kirk Hinich knows there’s nothing quite like the thrill of media day,
After all, he did take last season off from playing after anterior cruciate ligament surgery necessitatd by an injury incurred durin th 2012 postseason against the Philadelphi 76ers. Roaw did flash some dribbling skills on occasion at media day as he stopped at assorted locations to have his picture taken. But there was no performance for the media to show off his quickness or anything like that.
All that said, Rose said the right things to create optimism about his return and the fate of the 2013-14 Bulls. If nothing else, his ability to talk a good game would appear at close to the top of his game. And, yes, we all are aware that actions on the basketball court do speak louder than words.
“Everything happened for a reason, and I’m just happy to be past it,” he told reporters and camera operators at the Berto Center in Deerfield. “You hear a lot of the criticism, you hear stuff, my friends bring stuff to me, but there’s nothing you can do about it. Everybody is free to voice their own opinion. I can’t stop people from saying stuff. All I can do is just continue to work hard and just try to compete as a player and just to better myself as a player.”
A little candid camera (OK, not candid) with Derrick Rose and Tom Thibodeau,
Some folks will be satisfied if Rose returns as good as he was before surgery. After all, that guy won a Most Valuable Player award. To expect improvement might be a bit much. But if Rose says he can be better, then we are willing to make that judgment once the games begin — and “begin” means once the regular season starts.
Questions remain about how much playing time Rose will have. He and coach Tom Thibodeau were vague about any specific number of minutes. Rose did offer an explanation why he did not play last season — even though he had been cleared medically and received criticism for failing to return sooner.
“I never felt like I could take on a double-team,” he said. “I knew that I could get past one person, but in the playoffs, you really have to think the game. People are going to throw different strategies and defenses at you almost every game.
“I knew I wasn’t ready to take on the double-team in the playoffs, so I had to make the decision that I’m not coming back.”
Asked if he was going to change his game in his post-operative career, Rose responded:
“I think I’m going to play the same way. I think the only thing that changed in my game is my confidence level. I think I’m way more confident in my craft, in my game. I worked out a whole year training my body. Going out there and showing people that I’m the same player — but a more efficient player — that’s what I’m trying to prove.”
Some video from Bulls media day — with more to come in the next few days (if things go according to plan, which they occasionally do around here):
Here is where to go for a daily dose of no-gratuitos video (thanks to the editorial and video dpartments and their generous definition of “gratuitous” — thanks also to NFL cheerleaders):
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