The Case For Derrick Rose as Rookie of the Year

About a month ago, I thought it was going to be an interesting battle for the final few playoff spots in the Eastern Conference. At the time I thought Milwaukee and Chicago would go down to the wire, I was right about Chicago, not so much about Milwaukee. John Paxson is looking pretty good right now going with Vinny Del Negro, especially with where Scott Skiles and the Bucks are.

Anyways, I wanted to focus on who I think should be the Rookie of the Year this season, Derrick Rose of the Bulls. In my opinion, Rose is a better version of a Tony Parker. What I really like is his ability to change to tempo of the game, all on his own. He plays fast, but under control. He's a 1 man fast break, much like the way TP is. Take a look at Rose in these plays from the Bulls big win over the 76ers last night,



Just love guys like Rose and Parker. When you have a player with speed like that, they can dictate the tempo of the game, all on their own. Similar to Parker, the biggest weakness of Rose right now is his jumpshot -- Parker had to work on his until it became a part of his game, Rose needs to do the same. So far, Rose has lived up to the hype of being the number one pick overall, something that has been hit or miss based on past history.

If you look at his stats, 16.6 ppg, 6.2 apg, 3.9 rpg, Rose is definitely up there with the other top ROY candidates in Michael Beasley and O.J. Mayo. But Rose has a much bigger role with the Bulls as their primary PG, and he is one of the major reasons why the Bulls are headed to the playoffs. You look at his current assist-to-turnover ratio, 2.47, compared to Parker, 2.65, and Jason Kidd, 3.8. I think Rose is on his way to becoming a top 5 point guard within the next 5 years.

Summary:

The Bulls are likely to face the Cavs or the Celtics in the first round. I think either team is going to be a tough matchup for the Bulls, but the Bulls are definitely a team to watch out for in the future.

For more early offense and fast break video info, check out Tom Izzo's DVD on the Numbered Fast Break. Don't forget to check out the X's and O's Basketball Forum to talk hoops with other coaches. Have a great Easter Weekend!!!