Rose appreciates Thibodeau’s coaching
Before Derrick Rose watched his college coach, John Calipari, lead Kentucky in the Final Four on Saturday, he talked about his relationship with current coach Tom Thibodeau.
“We’re pretty close,” Rose said Saturday at the Berto Center. “He calls me, texts me, pulls me into his office numerous times, just talking to me, asks me what I see on the court.
“I think that’s what you need. As a player, I love when I can go to my coach and talk to anything that has to do with basketball. His door’s open, so I’m happy to have him.”
Rose, of course, played for Calipari at Memphis. His high school coach at Simeon, Robert Smith, has been mentioned as a candidate to join the staff at Illinois.
Rose refused to engage in rumors that Thibodeau is dismayed by the lack of a contract extension from the Bulls. The team holds an option for next season.
“I’m not worried about it at all,” Rose said. “He wants to be here. It has nothing to do with me. That’s all the front office. I know they’ll get it done.”
Thunder ready to strike:
The Thunder talked Saturday about what it expects from the Bulls’ defense.
“Chicago’s a great defensive team,” Russell Westbrook told reporters in Oklahoma City. “All they do is preach defense, and we do the same thing here. So it should be a defensive game.”
Added Thunder coach Scott Brooks: “They are one of the hardest-playing teams in basketball. Defensively, they get after you, they touch you, they hold you, they make you work for every point. Offensively, they come off their cuts and screens as hard as any team in the league. That’s why they win.”
Bull horns:
Derrick Rose on whether it’s tough to miss a big game like today’s matchup in Oklahoma City: “I think any player would want to play in a game like that, but every game has been tempting. I just haven’t been able to play.” … Guard John Lucas III had been averaging 10.4 points since Rose went out with the groin injury, but he scored just 2 points on 1-of-7 shooting in Friday’s 83-71 win over Detroit.