As Rose elevates, Bulls climb higher
In a couple decades of coaching, Gregg Popovich has seen the best of the best, and coached many of them en route to four NBA titles.
He knows greatness when he sees it.
And he knows when a player is about ready to take over a league.
Popovich thinks Derrick Rose is just about there.
“There's so much about him to admire that it's really kind of scary right now,” Popovich said Thursday night after Rose put a career-high 42 on the Spurs. “He's taken a monster leap since last year and what's great about him is he seems to love the pressure.
“That's what superstars do. They want to put the team on their back and they want the responsibility.
“That's easy to say, but not everyone wants that. Some guys are great when it's easy and then they kind of fade away into the background when the game gets tough.”
What Rose has shown since the World Championships last year is that he wants the ball when it matters most.
What he proved last summer when he refused to recruit LeBron James is that this is his team.
What he displayed Thursday night when the Bulls destroyed the best team in the NBA 109-99 is that there is no club in the league he can't take apart when the stage is biggest and the fire is hottest.
“He's got the character and demeanor of someone who clearly wants to be the best player on the floor every night,” Popovich said. “He knows now that the spotlight is on him every minute of every game, but he wants that.
“Not everyone wants that, but he does, and that's why he's destined to be a superstar in this league.
“You know, once you take that leap, you have to be that guy for 100 games a year, and he gets that. He knows that the responsibility is now his to carry his team.
“Once you do that, there's no turning back or you let a lot of people down. It takes a special kind of character and leadership to be that player, and Derrick has that.
“The best part is he doesn't beat his chest out there. He's a class act. He's a (heck) of a basketball player.”
As if that endorsement from a coach who's fourth on the all-time list in winning percentage wasn't enough, chants of “MVP, MVP” showered the UC throughout the fourth quarter while Rose took full advantage of a national-TV platform to enhance his candidacy.
“For anyone to say that, especially (Popovich), it means a lot,” Rose said. “I was just trying to win the game.”
What feels natural to Rose is astounding to his teammates.
“We recognized early that they couldn't stop him and then he just took over the game,” said Carlos Boozer, shaking his head and smiling. “All we had to do was get him the ball and play defense.”
That's something San Antonio didn't bother with Thursday night. The Bulls shot 54 percent, beat the Spurs on the boards 41-29, and had a shocking 20-5 edge in second-chance points.
In fairness, the Spurs have been on the road for nearly three weeks with the rodeo in San Antonio, and they looked like a squad that had already shut it down for the break.
Much of the team and coaching staff was facing a late-night flight to Los Angeles for the All-Star Game, and it appeared from the start that San Antonio was anticipating a day off and a very late breakfast.
So maybe the Spurs weren't really thinking about an NBA Finals preview, as so many had predicted.
“It's not an excuse and I didn't like it, but nine straight road games might have had an effect on us,” Popovich said. “Our execution was lacking.”
The Bulls had no such issues, so they head into the break having destroyed the top team in the NBA, knowing they're as well coached as any team in the game, can play defense with anyone when they rotate effectively, and they have a player in Rose who continues to find ways to elevate his game.
“We like where we are, but we want to get better,” Rose said. “When we come back we have to work even harder.”
Spoken like a true superstar.
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