Every Bulls fan remembers that night in Phoenix a year ago and I'm sure Goran Dragic does too. The night where Derrick Rose sucked the life out of the U.S. Airways Center and then electrified it as the oohs and ahhs channeled to the ground. I'll refresh some memories if the shockwaves from his dunk destroyed the images. Former Bull Tyrus Thomas passed the ball to Rose on the break and with only Dragic to beat Rose launched himself into the stratosphere and thundered down a two-handed dunk over the Suns guard. The aftermath that followed though will be remembered as well. Color commentator Stacey King's 'I wanna go higher' line still rings in my head when I visualize it or see a replay. The ironic thing is after the game Derrick said that he could've gone higher if he had to. Is it scary that I believe him?
That play was the culmination of what I'd been waiting for to go along with his 36 point playoff debut in Boston. The moments where Rose showcased the physical abilities that make him such a special prospect. He is the most physical gifted point guard in the history of the league from an athletic standpoint. Magic had incredible size and length, but Derrick's combination of speed, strength and explosiveness is absolutely unbridled, if you didn't already know. He can do things no other point guard in the league can do. Steve Francis and Baron Davis were also impressive athletically, but Derrick is on a level all by himself. I'm talking to you too John Wall.
Stacey King also had another line in that famous sound byte where he said 'this kid is special.' Yes he is. I don't know if Chris Paul, Deron Williams or Russell Westbrook can be 'the guy' on a championship team, but I can guarantee you Derrick can. I understand if you want to smack the drink out of my hand with I just said, but it's non-alcoholic. I'm fairly certain of three things in Chicago sports; Lovie Smith is incompetent, Patrick Kane is overrated and Derrick Rose is going to be a superstar. I repeat. Derrick Rose is going to be a superstar in the tier of LeBron, Wade, Howard and Durant. Just watch and see.
Derrick Rose is more than just a point guard. He's a new breed that can dominate a game passing or scoring. I'll get reamed for this, but Derrick has combo-guard skills. He is not a traditional point guard a la Jason Kidd or Rajan Rondo. He's not the passer/playmaker Chris Paul is. He's not the floor general Deron Williams is. Nor is he as active and aggressive as Russell Westbrook, but Derrick has elite traits in his own right. His physical skill set, his elite scoring ability and his intangibles makes him elite.
When you combine his traits and abilities you get a special player. A special player that can return a franchise back to glory. Derrick isn't just a puzzle piece. He is a centerpiece on a title contender. I think what impresses me the most about Derrick though is his competitiveness, his humbleness, his work ethic and his dedication to the game. The kid just wants to win and this quote will forever resonate with me when I think or talk about him.
“I don't care about getting triple-doubles or any of that. I just want to win because winning gets you everything in this league. So long as we win I don't care about stats.”
Derrick's value isn't in individual statistics such as TS%, PER, PPG, APG, SPG, Win-Share %, etc. His value is in the win/loss column. In order to understand how truly special he is though you have to watch him play. I know that sounds like a straw man argument, but it's the truth. You can't judge Derrick's performances or his value in the box score. It's not how many he scores it's when he scores them. It's not how many assists it's who they were too and how they happened. He's not be the most efficient or aesthetically pleasing player and I think that's why he gets knocked down. Neil Funk, while at times senile, calls him the 'run stopper' because of his pension to make big plays in big moments. The third-year prodigy has consistently risen to new heights in the biggest moments of the 2010-2011 season. Players sometimes start slow in games, but all I ask is that they show up later when it really matters and Derrick has done it time and time again.
I hate to compare him to #23, but I will in this regard. Both players came into the league and no one really knew what to think about them because they'd never seen their games before. Michael brought aerial maneuvers, showtime and flair, while Derrick has brought shooting guard explosiveness and scoring to break the traditional point guard mold. They also both have an immense amount of competitiveness, although Derrick will never sacrifice the amount of relationships Jordan did in order to win.
Ask Derrick to shoot better and statistically he was one of the best mid-range shooters in the league in his 2nd season. Ask him to extend his range this offseason and he's shooting 38% from the 3-point line this year. Ask him to become better defensively and he goes from liability to good. Ask him to draw more fouls and in the past 3 games he's gone to the line 30+ times. I'm done doubting the perception of what he can't do. He can do anything if he sets his mind to it and believes in himself, which is key. As his confidence increases so does his game.
There are prospects that the masses call a 'once in a generation.' Prospects that possess a combination of rare physical ability and intangibles. Take a look at Derrick Rose and realize he's that type of talent. Realize that 1.7% brought back the franchise because those were the odds of the Bulls landing the 1st pick. Sit back and enjoy the ride because Derrick's about to take us on an incredible journey.
He won't be Michael Jordan, but that shouldn't take away from what he's capable of and he's capable of a lot. I truly believe that Derrick can become the best player in the league. And yes the drink is still non-alcoholic. I know I touched a lot on his physical abilities, but it's his intangibles that will make him great. He's the type of player that won't stop working and won't get satisfied. He will continue to push himself until his career is over because he understands the opportunity he has.
If Stacey King every tells Derrick to 'go higher' again he'll probably ask 'how high' in his mind. He'll then give a humble answer, but you can bet that his 'how high' response is what he truly believes and that is what makes him scary. That answer is what makes him special.
No comments:
Post a Comment