When Derrick Rose rejoined the Chicago Bulls on a full-time basis for the first time since injuring his ACL in the 2012 NBA Playoffs, the thought process in the Windy City was that the Bulls would once again be able to contend for a championship since their biggest playmaker from a playoff team was all set to return. Despite the heightened expectations however, the Bulls have struggled out of the gates, stumbling to a 1-2 record after losses to the Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers with Chicago's only win this young season coming in an 82-81 thriller against Carmelo Anthony and the New York Knicks.
Shooting just 23% from three-point range as a team while allowing their opponents to shoot over 45% from beyond the arc, the Bulls and head coach Tom Thibodeau know the season is long but numbers like these need to change immediately if they want to build confidence moving forward in the competitive Eastern Conference. "You've got to correct things immediately; you got to put the work into it," Thibodeau said. "You can't hope it to happen; you have to make it happen. And we need everybody doing it. We can't rely on a certain two or three guys to do everything. Our entire team is needed. This isn't a Derrick issue, this is a team issue and we have to correct it."
While he continues to acclimate himself to everyday basketball duties once again, Derrick Rose - who shot an unimpressive 4-of-14 from the floor in the recent 107-104 loss to the 76ers - knows it will take some time to get back into full game shape but also notes that he'd like to see game officials give him the benefit of the doubt a little more when he makes his move to the basket.
"I can't complain about it," Rose said regarding the lack of whistles. "It's just the way the game is going. All I can do is continue to drive and I guess try to get fouled. I've gotta be the only superstar in the league that's going through what I'm going through right now. Like I said, I can't complain about it. All I can do is continue to drive. I guess I'm not getting fouled or I guess they've just got to get used to me. I understand I'm creating some contact, but I'm just trying to play through it."
As Rose and Chicago try to get things moving forward, the Indiana Pacers hope to earn the first 5-0 start in franchise history when they host the Bulls. One of the reasons the Pacers - who fell in a thrilling seven-game Eastern Conference Finals series to the Miami Heat last year - have been extremely successful recently is due to the fact that head coach Frank Vogel has the complete trust and respect of his players, including former Pacers forward Mike Dunleavy.
"I'm not surprised, because he's a great person, a positive person," Dunleavy, who now plays for Chicago, said recently. "He really knows the game. I think his personality has a great impact on that team. He knows how to coach a team. So that mix of getting along well with the players, as well as putting them in the right positions to succeed, is a recipe for success. He always had a good way about him. You could tell that was going to pay off in some fashion, and here he is one of premier coaches in the league."
Chicago Bulls vs. Indiana Pacers: DATE, TIME & TV INFO
DATE: Wednesday, November 6
TIME: 7:00pm, ET
TV COVERAGE: ESPN
LIVE STREAM: CLICK HERE
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