Shoot, this Rose guy can wear you out

During my first up-close look at Derrick Rose, he wore me out in a half-hour.

This was nearly three hours before tipoff for the Bulls' 113-108 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night.

Rose was on the United Center court shooting jump shots. Assistant coach for player development Dave Severns fed the ball and Rose shot it.

Catch, shoot, swish. Catch, shoot, swish. Catch, shoot, klank. Catch, shoot, swish. Catch, shoot, clank.

You'll have to ask someone else how long this went on. I arrived courtside at 4:55 p.m. and Rose was shooting already. I left at 5:25 and he still was shooting.

Midrange jumpers from the wings. Jumpers from in the lane. Jumpers from the corner. Jumpers from the right side. Jumpers from the left side. Three-point jumpers from everywhere.

Jumpers, jumpers and more jumpers.

"Short," Rose blurted when a shot would hit the front of the rim. Or he would moan an "Ohhhh," when another shot was off target.

But then there were the times Severns would like what he saw and say, "Right there, perfect" or just plain "Good."

From the Bulls' bench down at the other end of the court, Bulls head coach Vinny Del Negro peered over to see how the drill was going. Like me, he looked unable to take his eyes off of Rose.

Later I started to tell Del Negro that I too watched Rose shoot all those jump shots.

"Did they go in?" he interrupted.

"Surprisingly enough," I said, "a lot of them did."

Del Negro seems programmed to say only what he wants and reveal little more than he wants.

But he did say of Rose's shooting practice, "The key is taking the developmental process into the game. (Rose) is a workaholic. His attitude is great. That's what it's all about."

Well, it isn't exactly all of what it's about. There's the little matter of Rose being one of the most athletic point guards ever to come into the NBA.

The No. 1 overall draft pick this year can run, jump, handle the ball and pass the ball. He appears capable of running the break, running a half-court offense and running a team.

Maybe the biggest question about Rose is whether he can improve his jump shot, which would advance his potential from very good to great to dare we say legendary.

If Rose's pregame preparation was any indication, he'll improve this aspect of his game considerably and he'll become as good a shooter as his eye-to-hand coordination will allow.

On this night, Rose did take the developmental process into the game well by making 9 of 17 varied field-goal attempts and 8 of 9 free throws for 26 points.

All that along with 10 rebounds and 6 assists despite pulling a muscle in his back during the first quarter.

"He didn't want to come out of the game," Del Negro said.

Why would he? Rose seems to enjoy everything about basketball except losing. "Practice?" Allen Iverson once famously squeaked, but Rose seems to enjoy even that.

When Severns left to work with Andres Nocioni at the other end of the court, a ballboy did the passing to Rose. At one point Rose even shadow shot to groove the stroke.

Catch and shoot. Catch and shoot. Catch and shoot.

I was tired just watching.

mimrem@dailyherald.com