McCaffrey: It's 'All About Just Playing' For Derrick Rose Now
By Brendan McCaffrey--
(CBS) For Bulls guard Derrick Rose, it's finally back to the postseason, a time to return to the place where the circus of injuries and questions began nearly three years ago when he crumpled to the floor late in a playoff-opening victory against the 76ers in April 2012.
Rose hasn't been to the playoffs since, but after the Bulls closed out the regular season Wednesday night with a 91-85 victory over the Hawks at the United Center, he'll get his chance beginning Saturday, when Chicago hosts Milwaukee in Game 1 of a first-round series.
Rose has been waiting.
"The playoffs are a different type of atmosphere, a different type of setting," Rose said. "I get the opportunity to play the game that I love playing. The intensity is going to be definitely high, and I can't wait to play."
Rose also gets the chance to hit the reset button on a wildly up-and-down regular season, one that featured myriad injuries, inconsistent play and questions about his effectiveness.
"I'm very encouraged about my team, about myself, and about my future," Rose said. "I believe I'm one of the best players in the NBA."
If Rose remains one of the best in the NBA, he didn't show it in 2014-'15 and certainly didn't Wednesday night. He played only 10 minutes, scoring two points with one assist and four turnovers. While he attacked the basket a few times early in the game, he missed both of his 3-point attempts and did a poor job preventing Hawks guard Jeff Teague from penetrating the Bulls' defense. Rose didn't play in the second half because of left knee soreness, which the team took a cautious approach with.
Rose finished the season ranked 113th in ESPN/John Hollinger's player efficiency rating, outside of the top 20 for point guards. He shot a dismal 28 percent from the 3-point line this season.
Despite this, Rose remains upbeat.
"I'm happy with myself, I'm happy with my play," Rose said. "I'm happy with the games I've played in, even the half that I played in (Wednesday). Me being on the court, it just knocked the rust off a little bit."
After the game, Rose said he would have continued playing with his knee soreness if Wednesday's game were a playoff contest. That comes Saturday, when Chicago hosts Milwaukee in its playoff opener.
In two games against the Bucks this season, Rose struggled, averaging 10.5 points and shooting only 22 percent from the field.
Ready or not, it's time to go.
"Nobody cares now," Rose said when asked if he's had enough time to prepare for the playoffs. "I think it's all about just playing. Like I said, my whole mindset going into these playoffs are no excuses, and get the job done."
Brendan McCaffrey is the sports director at 670 The Score. Follow him on Twitter @b_mccaffrey.
