With Lin in town, expect Bulls' Rose to be ready
Derrick Rose cleared out of the locker room quickly after Saturday's victory over Utah.
That's something he does on occasion, and this early exit saved him from answering questions about the NBA's latest sensation, New York point guard Jeremy Lin.
Lin and all his hype will pay a visit to the United Center on Monday. But after going 7-0 when Lin first started playing heavy minutes Feb. 4, the Knicks have gone 3-8 since and have dropped five in a row.
Lin's still doing well as a starter, averaging 20.8 points, 8.7 assists and 2.4 steals, while shooting 46.4 percent from the field.
His weakness is turnovers, with 5.1 per game since becoming a starter. The NBA leader in turnovers among qualified players is New Jersey's Deron Williams at 4.1 per contest.
So how will Lin fare in his first true matchup against Derrick Rose? Well, history has shown that Rose gets fired up to play against the league's top point guards.
A player getting worldwide fame and notoriety, such as Lin, is bound to catch Rose's attention. The former Harvard star has gotten used to seeing the best from opponents.
"Teams definitely come after us and play hard against us," Lin said in the New York Daily News. "We've had a little bit of media attention, and that may have a little to do with that.
"Now I know what to expect. I haven't been around very long, but I've learned that they're going to come after me and come after us every single night."
Rose figures to take that trend to another level. Just check the results: Rose has never lost a game to Chris Paul, he dominates Deron Williams, he owns Brandon Jennings, and he averaged 34.7 points in his last three meetings with Tony Parker.
One point guard Rose hasn't outplayed is Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook, his summer workout buddy. Their stats were fairly equal in two games last season.
The smaller, quick guards such as Golden State's Monta Ellis and Orlando's Jameer Nelson can be tough matchups for Rose.
The 6-foot-3 Lin does not fit into that category.
To be truthful, Rose and Lin have played against each other in the NBA. It happened last season on Nov. 11, when Lin played for Golden State and visited the United Center.
The Bulls won that game 120-90, so it was filled with garbage time. Based on play-by-play from that night, Lin and Rose were on the floor at the same time for about four minutes in the second and third quarters. Rose had a couple of assists and knocked down a jumper during that time.
Lin went 0-for-2 from the field that night with an assist and a steal. His highlight, though, might have been getting called for goaltending on a shot from Joakim Noah.
When the Bulls beat the Knicks 105-102 at Madison Square Garden on Feb. 2, Lin was on the roster and did not play.
Rose didn't talk about Lin or the Knicks, but Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau on Saturday gave a rundown of the next opponent.
"They're putting a lot of points up on the board," Thibodeau said. "They're playing well. You've got to be ready to go from the start of the game against them.
"They push the ball. It's not only Lin, but Baron Davis is healthy now. Carmelo (Anthony) and (Amare) Stoudemire are two very dynamic scorers. They're deep and they're good, so we have to be ready."
Ÿmmcgraw@dailyherald.com.
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