Bernstein: High-Flying Rose Needs To Use His Head
By Dan Bernstein--
Ok, that's three now. Three times Derrick Rose has launched himself skyward in an NBA game, only to have his flight altered at its peak, causing a crash to the unforgiving floor.
Twice last year he ran into Orlando's Dwight Howard, sustaining a sprained wrist and a bruised hip from the respective falls. Nothing catastrophic, but some missed games and ominous reminders of the dangers inherent in life above the rim for a point guard, even one as strong as Rose.
Monday night at the United Center against the Pacers, Rose was unintentionally undercut on a similar explosion to the basket, again lost control of his body, and braced himself with his wrists just enough to avoid a red-paint faceplant. A bruised wrist and bruised hip are now added to his list, along with the ankle he had rolled just minutes before, and his lingering, chronic toe issue.
As discussed in this space just last week, any projections for the success of the Bulls start and end, really, with Rose. There are some good players here, but he's the team.
And he has a responsibility to use better judgment.
The Bulls were up 13 (!) points with two minutes remaining in a regular-season home game in mid-December, and their most important player since The Statue is horizontal six feet off the ground, toppling heels over head.
I know the response to this: "Stop worrying, that's his game, always has been, he plays hard, he knows no other way, you don't want him to get tentative, it's the NBA," etc.
Fine. Whatever.
But his game is spectacular, for better or worse. Altitude carries risk, and any physicist will explain that potential energy is converted into kinetic energy – explosive players get injured explosively. There are slower-twitch guards whose games erode over time, winding down as minutes pile up in the years of running around staggered screens.
Rose's suddenness and elevation, though, mean any one of his drives can end up looking reckless after the fact. We may always be an eyeblink away from another gasp-thud uh-oh.
Coach Tom Thibodeau sounds resigned to this. He told the Sun Times "I don't want him to change the way he plays. With two minutes to go and a team that shoots the three like Indiana, you're never safe. I want him to be aggressive and keep attacking, and I want him to play for 48 minutes."
Here's hoping that public stance differs from what may be said behind closed doors. I appreciate the mentality, but the big picture matters. There will be more important games this year and beyond, and the window of opportunity for the Bulls to win a title is only open as long as Rose is viable.
Nobody wants to keep Derrick Rose from being himself, or from playing his game. Some of us just want him in one piece.
