Chicago Bulls: Is Luol Deng More Valuable Than Derrick Rose?
Derrick Rose is the undisputed leader of the Chicago Bulls who is capable both facilitating and carrying the team to victory.
Luol Deng is Chicago’s most versatile player who contributes to the team in every facet of the game.
Chicago has played five games this season without their undisputed leader and amassed a 4-1 record.
Luol Deng has missed seven consecutive games and is expected to miss more. So far, the Bulls have accrued a 4-3 record. The most recent win against the New York Knicks could’ve very easily went the other way.
In the Rose-less stretch of the season Chicago still played pretty solid basketball on both ends of the court.
The offense was able to put up a respectable 98.2 points per game while the defense was still able to lock down opponents holding them to just 85.4 points per game.
With the exception of a complete breakdown against the Memphis Grizzlies, the Bulls received contributions from just about everyone on the roster to help continue their early season winning ways.
Over the course of this continuing stretch without Deng, the Bulls have gone 4-3 scoring 97.8 points and allowing 96.4 points, a significantly narrower margin of victory.
While Chicago ended their stretch without Rose on three game-winning streak, they have yet to even post consecutive wins sans Deng.
These contrasting performances bring up a very intriguing question.
Is Luol Deng more important to the Bulls’ success than Derrick Rose?
The big swing in points allowed obviously shows that the defense is severely lacking stopping power without Deng on the floor; however, other major categories show very little change.
The Bulls currently average 44.9 rebounds per game. That number was slightly higher without Rose at 45.6 and a little lower without Deng, 42.1.
Their 22.3 assists per game average was virtually the same without Rose at 22.6 and less than one assist lower without Deng, 21.5.
Chicago’s 96.3 overall points scored average is actually below what the team averaged without Rose and Deng.
Despite these statistical similarities, and intentionally omitting the obvious defensive disparities, it is the offensive aspect where the Bulls have suffered more than what one might have thought.
The most evident observation that can made here is that Rose’s scoring has gone up (28.4 ppg), but his assists have gone down (6.7 apg) without Deng being active.
Despite the overall team assist average not budging much, there is an obvious lack of offensive continuity without Deng on the court to keep the ball moving. This problem has been exacerbated with Richard Hamilton’s absence, as well.
Without Deng, there’s no one on the floor who demands enough respect to keep a wing defender from helping on Rose.
Kyle Korver can keep running off multiple screens, but Ronnie Brewer still isn’t enough of an offensive threat to keep his defender honest.
Without Deng presenting that second scoring/assist option, the burden to either score or create falls exclusively to Rose.
This void causes Chicago to fall back into the same habits of seasons’ past of Rose handling the ball while the bigs set picks and everyone else just kind of stands around.
The assist average remains comparable, but it doesn’t come from continuous ball movement allowing everyone to both touch and move without the ball. Rose merely drives and passes. That stagnation severely hinders player contributions.
This team relapse is the biggest adverse side-effect of Deng’s absence.
But still, is he more valuable to the team than Rose?
The short answer is no. The explanative answer requires a look at who the Bull played in each player’s absence.
Chicago’s stretch without Rose was against teams that did not have winning records. Their losses without Deng were to the Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers. Those were teams who could’ve beaten Chicago even if the Bulls were fully manned.
This doesn’t necessarily mean that Rose is more valuable than Deng either. The deficiencies shown in both players’ absences underscore the importance of the Bulls needing both men on the floor in order to have the best chances of winning.
Both Rose and Deng do so many things so well that they are able to make up for a supporting player’s shortages more than a reserve player can pick up Rose and Deng’s slack during their absence.
The Bulls are a complete team, and that totality works both to their benefit and to their detriment. They are nearly unstoppable with all hands on deck but often struggle when key players are absent.
Deng’s time off calls attention to some of the other areas in which Chicago could use improvement.
The value of Rose and Deng are equivocally apparent, and the one thing that’s for sure is that the Bulls need them both if they are going to win a title.
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Rose scores 32 as Bulls hold off Knicks
Derrick Rose scored 32 points, including 15 in the fourth quarter, to outduel fellow All-Star Carmelo Anthony, and Chicago won 105-102.
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Rose scores 32 points, Bulls beat Knicks (AP)
Derrick Rose and Carmelo Anthony are both All-Star starters. Only Rose is the reigning MVP, and he was the one who owned Madison Square Garden on Thursday night. Rose had 32 points, 13 assists and a basket seemingly every time the Knicks were poised to rally in the Bulls’ 105-102 victory. “Every time I step on the court, they’re coming at me,” Rose said.
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Iguodala outplays Rose as 76ers roll (AP)
Fun to watch, tough to beat. The 76ers have stamped themselves as a rising threat in the East. Andre Iguodala helped the Philadelphia 76ers take down one of the NBA’s top teams, scoring 19 points and grabbing nine rebounds in a 98-82 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night. Iguodala outplayed Derrick Rose and stuffed a month’s worth of dazzling highlight video plays into one game.
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NBA Trade Rumors: Derrick Rose Only Chicago Bull Untouchable for Dwight Howard
Now that Dwight Howard has indicated a willingness to consider playing for the Bulls, they must be willing to move anyone on their roster, except Derrick Rose, in order to make this trade happen.
And I mean anyone.
Sure, if the Bulls include Joakim Noah and Luol Deng in a trade, they may not have enough talent left to win a title this season. But then again, if they don’t make a move for Howard, they still won’t be good enough to win a championship anyway.
The point is: While giving up important pieces like Noah and Deng will hurt the Bulls in the short run, having the chance to pair Rose and Howard makes the Bulls championship contenders for the next 10 years.
It’s much easier to find the next Noah and Deng, than it is to find another Howard.
Unless Chicago adds another star player to the mix to complement Rose, they will always be the bridesmaid, and never the bride.
Look, Rose simply isn’t good enough to win a title on his own. Even the greatest player in NBA history, Michael Jordan, couldn’t have won a ring without Scottie Pippen.
Meanwhile, we’ve seen that blowing your team up and building with one player is a precedent set by the Miami Heat. They held onto Dwyane Wade, while gutting their roster, and acquiring LeBron James and Chris Bosh.
While that hasn’t resulted in a championship yet, it was enough to beat the Bulls in the playoffs last season. And without Howard, the Bulls are likely to fall again this postseason.
Yes, the regular season may continue to be successful for the Bulls going forward, with the players they have surrounding Rose now, but isn’t the goal to win it all?
For as good as Rose is, the Bulls lack an athletic big man who can pull down rebounds and score. Yet, I keep hearing from Bulls fans who insist you can’t trade this guy, and you can’t include that guy. Deng’s name is frequently mentioned as untouchable.
I agree that, when healthy, Deng is a good player. But, when you have a chance to get a superstar, you do what you have to do.
Remember a few years ago when the Bulls couldn’t make trades for players like Pau Gasol because they just couldn’t move players like Ben Gordon and Kirk Hinrich?
Well, how did that work out for them?
This is a big city, so think big for a change, Bulls. Stop being conservative, and really go for it. Trade the whole team and your draft picks, if that’s what it takes.
The Bulls need Dwight Howard. Batman needs his Robin.
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Chicago Bulls: Derrick Rose, Bulls Getting It Done Despite Injuries
Despite all the injuries the Chicago Bulls have suffered so far this season, the Bulls continue to win games, and in impressive fashion. Their 18-5 record is good enough for the best in the Eastern Conference, even though they have gone through recent stretches without key players. All-Star point guard Derrick Rose, Richard Hamilton and, most recently, Luol Deng have all missed significant time due to injuries.
Rose’s injury has most fans concerned since a turf toe injury is one that is known to linger for months. The injury sidelined the reigning MVP for five games, yet during that stretch, the Bulls managed to go 4-1 while going undefeated at home.
C.J. Watson deserves a lot of credit for the tremendous job he did filling in for Rose. Although Watson had suffered an elbow injury a few games prior, he played through the pain in order to help the Bulls’ already thin backcourt. In his four starts, Watson averaged 16.5 points and six assists per game, including a 23-point effort versus the Phoenix Suns.
Bulls fans were also relieved to see Carlos Boozer finally take initiative on the offensive end. In the five games Rose missed, Boozer averaged 21.5 points and 8.4 rebounds while shooting an efficient 52 percent from the floor. Fans are hoping to see this kind of production and effort on a more regular basis.
Hamilton is another key player the Bulls will need to monitor over the next few weeks. Hamilton’s groin injury has the 14-year veteran a game-time decision almost every night and has forced the shooting guard to miss 12 of the 23 games so far this season.
After re-aggravating his groin in Sunday’s 97-93 loss to the Miami Heat, it is very possible the Bulls will sit him for an extended period of time to let the groin fully heal.
Deng is the most recent Bull to fall victim to the shortened, injury-heavy season. Deng tore a ligament in his left wrist in fourth quarter of a 95-89 win versus the Charlotte Bobcats and the severity has yet to be determined. Although there has been talk about Deng possibly having surgery, reports have indicated that Deng will avoid surgery at all costs.
Deng’s wrist injury has a lot of fans concerned since the Bulls cannot afford to lose him for a long period time. He is arguably the best defensive player on the roster and the most consistent scoring option behind Rose. The Bulls also desperately need Deng to guard LeBron James come playoffs, especially after Ronnie Brewer’s defensive performance against James in last Sunday’s loss.
With both Deng and Hamilton currently sidelined with their respective injuries, other players have been called on to step up in their absence.
Joakim Noah has played much better as of late and seems to have finally found his stride. In Monday’s win versus the New Jersey Nets, Noah recorded his fifth straight double-double and has also shot 64 percent from the field during that stretch.
Rose also looks to be feeling healthy and back to full speed. Since his return, the reigning MVP is averaging 29.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game. It is clear that without Hamilton and Deng in the starting lineup, Rose will need to take an even greater offensive role, much like he did last season.
The shortened season has undoubtedly taken a toll on key players the Bulls simply cannot afford to be without come playoffs. Luckily for the Bulls, they have an extremely deep bench that has done a phenomenal job filling in when called on.
Their depth should help them not only cruise through the regular season, but should give other players the opportunity to fully heal. At full strength, there is no doubt the Bulls are one of the most dangerous teams in the league.
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Roundup: Rose leads Bulls past Wizards
Derrick Rose and the Bulls rebounded from a tough loss to beat the Wizards. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and the Heat beat the Hornets.
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Heat hold off Bulls as Rose misses late (AP)
LeBron James scored 35 points, while reigning NBA MVP Derrick Rose wasted two chances in the final 23 seconds and the Miami Heat escaped with a 97-93 win Sunday over the Chicago Bulls. Chris Bosh scored 24 points and added 12 rebounds for the Heat, who never trailed — but this win in a rematch of last season’s Eastern Conference finals was not easy.
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Derrick Rose Needs Joakim Noah to Become Enforcer for Chicago Bulls
Derrick Rose needs a bodyguard. Like Dennis Rodman did for Michael Jordan, Joakim Noah needs to play the enforcer role, getting in peoples’ faces, pissing opponents off. A few technicals wouldn’t be the end of the world.
I want Noah to be like Rodman. I’m not saying he should start cross-dressing and coloring his hair, but Noah needs to embrace the role of Rose’s enforcer. Noah is never going to be a big scorer in the NBA but he could help Rose by playing tough, in-your-face defense and by bringing an intimidation factor to the Bulls’ persona.
Rose takes a lot of punishment. The 23-year-point guard is not afraid to get hit on his way to the basket. When someone knocks Rose to the floor, Noah needs to get in their face and provide a little extracurricular activity. It may sound dirty, but that’s your MVP and he’s precious cargo. He needs protection.
Noah is the perfect man for the job. He is already a great defender, and his intense energy is felt every time he’s on the floor as he often lets out a primal scream after plays.
I know this isn’t hockey, and I’m not condoning that Noah should fight. However, he needs to become Chicago’s bad boy, doing the Bulls‘ dirty work. Like a frat boy at a kegger, Noah needs to steal the attention, so the Rose can sneak away unscathed.
Rodman was this guy for Jordan. The Bulls surely benefited from his toughness and might not have won three championships without him. His role as the enforcer got under the opponent’s skin, creating tension that often led to confrontation.
I want to see this out of Noah—creating disruptions, sometimes giving hard fouls. In the NBA, sometimes it’s OK to be the bully.
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NBA MVP Derrick Rose: ‘I’m Not Scared of Any Point Guard in the League’
A gallery of reporters flanked to Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose’s locker recently in the visitors’ dressing room at FedExForum as if he had just played the game of his life.
Unfortunately for the reigning NBA Most Valuable Player, his latest visit to Memphis was somewhat reminiscent of that of his rookie season, given that he was hampered by an injury.
Labeled a game-time decision against the Memphis Grizzlies, Rose, according to Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau, elected to sit out the game, although a large contingent of fans amongst the announced sell-out crowd—many of whom embraced Rose when he helped propel the Memphis Tigers to the 2008 NCAA title game—purchased tickets to witness the 23-year-old Rose in action for the first time since he surpassed Wes Unseld in becoming the youngest player ever to win the league’s most prestigious individual award.
As he slowly got dressed, Rose reached in his locker for his walking boot designed for his turf toe injury that sidelined him four games. He then sat down, strapped it around his ailing left foot he believes he initially injured in the Bulls’ 2010 playoffs series against Cleveland, then, before taking questions, looked up at the assembled media and said, “It seems like I never get a chance to play (in Memphis).”
Suddenly, one reporter jokingly asked Rose, “Considering it seems you never play when you come to Memphis, is it safe to say you are scared of (Grizzlies point guard) Mike Conley?”
The always soft-spoken Rose quickly replied, “I’m not scared of any point guard in the league.”
And rightfully so. It seems all Rose, a two-time All-Star, has done since he entered the league was demonstrate he’s as good as advertised following his one-and-done year at Memphis. Selected as the No. 1 overall pick by the Bulls four years ago, Rose followed up an extraordinary Rookie of the Year season by turning in arguably the best season by an NBA point guard since Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns won back-to-back MVP awards in 2005 and 2006.
Though his field-goal percentage dipped slightly last year, Rose enjoyed increases in virtually every statistical category, most notably points (25 per game), minutes played (37 per game), three-point field-goal percentage (from .267 to .332), rebounds (4.1), assists (7.7) and steals (1.5). His career-best 42-point outbursts in wins against San Antonio and Indiana, by and large, prompted media pundits to debate whether he was a lock for MVP.
“Great, great, great,” said Rose when asked to sum up his third season. “That year was totally different than the rest because I was relaxed more. Plus, we were comfortable as a team, and it showed on the court.”
Luckily for the Bulls, much of the hoopla surrounding Rose’s banner year wasn’t a distraction, considering they finished one game ahead of the Spurs for the NBA’s best regular season record (62-20) and secured the top seed in the playoffs before losing in five games to the Miami Heat in their best-of-seven Eastern Conference finals series.
Still, Rose contends winning MVP without an NBA championship essentially overshadowed some of the excitement in being dubbed the league’s most celebrated player.
“Yeah, it did,” Rose said. “Whenever you win the MVP, you want to win the championship and we didn’t. So in a way, there is a sense of disappointment.”
Whether the Bulls can build on last year’s success in a season that has been reduced by 16 games is anybody’s guess. Of course, much of that depends largely on how Rose recovers from a foot injury he admittedly regrets having played through a couple games in recent weeks.
“He’s day to day,” Thibodeau said of Rose. “We’ll keep monitoring the situation. He just said it was sore. It’s a pain tolerance thing, so we’ll see how it goes.”
Fortunately for Rose and Co., the season is still young, meaning Thibodeau is allowing him the necessary time to recoup. However, whenever he is gets back to full strength, several of his teammates agree that the Bulls’ chances of reaching the NBA Finals will be as good as other elite Eastern Conference teams.
In other words, as Rose goes, so does the Bulls.
“He’s somebody comes ready to play hard, take over a game and will do anything to win,” Bulls forward Joakim Noah said of Rose. “He’s not just the most talented guy on the floor, but his mental approach to the game makes him a leader. I mean, he’s the MVP of the NBA, so obviously, he’s a lot different.”
Among the key factors, Noah said, that separates Rose—who was projected as the top overall pick the moment he announced he would forego his final three seasons at Memphis—from other players who entered the NBA with him in 2008 is that he handled the maturation process with ease.
“He’s like a little brother,” Noah, now in his fifth NBA season, said of Rose. “I’ve seen him grow from a shy kid to the leader of this team. He’s a hard worker, and he’s someone who doesn’t get distracted being from Chicago, playing in front of his hometown fans and winning the MVP.”
While Rose’s memorable third year wasn’t culminated with a championship, as consolation, he received a personal visit from former Bulls great and Hall of Famer Michael Jordan. Jordan, a five-time MVP winner who guided the Bulls to six world titles, was highly complementary of the Chicago native and former Simeon Career Academy star.
“He came to the locker room and gave me a handshake and said, ‘Good job,’” Rose said of Jordan, the only other Bulls player to hoist the MVP trophy.
The only question now, of course, is whether Rose, who recently signed a five-year, $94.8 million extension, can follow Jordan’s path by adding championship rings to his stellar resume.
“The season is long, and we’ve got a lot of work to do,” Rose said as he grabbed his backpack and limped out of the dressing room.
Fortunately for the Bulls, who—like last year—appear solid at a number of key positions to a manufacture another deep postseason run, capturing a ring certainly is a possibility in large part because Rose has shown time and again he isn’t afraid of any point guard in the league.
He got the MVP trophy to prove it.
This story also is featured in the February issue of Memphis Sport Magazine. Sportswriter Andre Johnson, who also freelances for the Memphis Commercial Appeal newspaper, can be reached at 901-690-6587 or by email at: memphisgraduate@yahoo.com.
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