Rose a fan of Bulls' new offense
Asked how the Chicago Bulls' new offense compares to the days when Tom Thibodeau was head coach, Derrick Rose didn't want any part of the question.
“Thibs is the past. I don't even want to talk about Thibs,” Rose said after the Bulls' 92-87 victory over Orlando on Sunday. “But Fred, it's been great. We're learning each other. I'm learning the offense a little bit more. Every day, it seems like I'm getting better, getting more familiar with the offense.”
Rose probably didn't mean Thibodeau any disrespect; he's just ready to move on. Four games into the season, Rose and his teammates appreciate coach Fred Hoiberg's offensive plan.
Even though the Bulls had a sluggish ending Sunday against the Magic, their offense was sharp for about three quarters. They're using many of the San Antonio Spurs' tactics for ball and player movement. Hoiberg's top assistant, Jim Boylen, spent the past two years working for the Spurs.
Hoiberg calls very few set plays from the sideline. The Bulls are trying to run first, then flow into a read-and-react system that spreads the floor and encourages passing.
“You read which side I'm on,” Rose said. “If I pitch to the middle it's one thing, if I go to the side, it's one thing. It's a read-type offense. We don't have to wait for anything.
“It's an offense where everybody has to read (the defense). It can take some getting used to. It's a different look for us. (Hoiberg) wants to push the ball with pace this year. We never did that in the past, so it's something we've got to get used to.”
Rose is playing catch-up because he missed almost all of training camp with a fractured orbital bone. He's still struggling with double vision in his left eye and cited that as a reason he's cut way back on his outside shooting. Through four games, he's 0-for-5 from 3-point range.
The new offense is far from a finished product. The Bulls rank near the bottom of the league in assists and are 18th in points per game with 99.5. But Rose seems convinced this system will fit his skills.
“It seems like (Hoiberg) is forcing me into how I naturally play, where I'm running downhill, I'm getting into the paint,” Rose said. “I'm able to push the ball, one-man fastbreak if I want to, but like I said it's all about my conditioning, being able to push the ball the way he wants to and getting to that next gear.
“I'm just trying to get in shape.”
Maybe it's a good sign the Bulls' defense is ahead of their offense. Even while focusing on playing at a faster pace, the Bulls haven't forgotten Thibodeau's defensive fundamentals. They rank fifth in defensive field-goal percentage and sixth in points allowed.
“Obviously, they've been taught extremely well on the defensive end these last five years, a lot of them,” Hoiberg said. “It's trying to build habits on that other (offensive) end.”
When the Bulls visit Charlotte on Tuesday, they'll be facing their third winless opponent in five games. So it's tough to draw any conclusions yet on how successful the Bulls might be this season.
But the first half of the Orlando game did offer a glimpse of what they hope to become — play fast, spread the floor, move the ball.
In theory, there are many similarities to the Spurs, even in personnel. It's easy to see Rose as Tony Parker, Jimmy Butler as Kawhi Leonard, Pau Gasol as Tim Duncan and Nikola Mirotic as LaMarcus Aldridge.
Balanced scoring and a deep bench have been important for the Bulls, even with Butler (19.5 ppg) and Mirotic (18.8) out in front as the scoring leaders.
On Sunday, Butler was asked if he likes the style of play Hoiberg brought to the Bulls.
“I like winning, to tell you the truth,” Butler answered. “I think this style of play helps. Everybody's confident. Everybody's taking the shots they're given. When we're playing basketball like that, we're such an unselfish team, we make it kind of easy at times.”
Yeah, it's looked easy at times, but there are still 78 games and many tough opponents ahead.
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