Derrick Rose came into the NBA with a ton of hype. He had just taken his team to a National Championship appearance in his freshman year, he was the first overall pick, and he was drafted by his hometown team. Since coming into the league, Rose has more than lived up to the hype and has the Bulls heading in the right direction after back-to-back playoff appearances.
People around the NBA are taking notice that Derrick Rose is one of the best point guards in the NBA. He was named to his first ever All-Star game this season and he is currently playing for Team USA in the World Championships. While he is not yet a finished product and still needs to improve areas of his game like his jumper, it won’t be long before Derrick Rose is in the conversation as the best point guard in the league. Derrick Rose joined ESPN Radio in Chicago with Waddle and Silvy to talk about whether or not he thinks will make the final roster for team USA, how much he has learned from Mike Krzyzewski, who his closest friend on Team USA is, how quickly he has matured, his desire to be one of the best players in the NBA, the addition of Carlos Boozer, what he is trying to add to his game this summer, why he didn’t call LeBron James, and whether he thinks Joakim Noah should get an extension.
Has Coach K taught you nuances about the game?
“Yeah, if anything he is a motivational speaker and he really has humor when he talks. If anything you are going to listen to him because he is going to be a legend, a Hall of Famer I mean in this game. For him to be coaching me is wonderful. Too bad I didn’t go to Duke, but it’s great even just being here with him and his staff is great and I am lucky to be on this bus headed to the gym.”
You hoped to be one of league’s best players, do you feel like it and did it come quickly?
“I hope so, I hope everybody out there put me as one of the top players in the NBA if not this year or last year, hopefully one of the years I do play in the NBA. But I am not going to stop; there is no point of playing this game if you are not trying to be the best. So while I am out here working out and all that stuff, I am playing to be the best player.”
Do you ever think about it in these terms… even with Blackhawks winning Stanley Cup this could be your town and you could be the face of Chicago, how does that feel?
“It feels good, that is why I am playing so hard. Thank God the Blackhawks won because they didn’t do anything but inspire me to go out there and do better. Because that is where you want to be as a Bull. You want to be in their shoes right now. You want to play as hard as they did, you want to win a championship and like I said there is no point in playing this game if you aren’t going out there to and be the best. I think that this year the organization like to put a team up we think we can go out there and win every game that’s what we have to do.”
Mid-range jumper, what are you adding to repertoire?
“Just expanding my jump shot. Making sure that I can knock down a consistent three now because we have (Carlos) Boozer and we have Joakim (Noah) that are really on their game at the post. So my roles are going to have to change a little bit this year when they swing it out that I am going to have to shoot that shot and have the confidence in it so that is what I have been working out.”
Good enough to give Miami a run for their money?
“Oh yeah, it’s going to be fun. Playing the Heat is going to be fun. Like I said, I don’t know about anybody else’s team but I think my team is ready for war.”
Why didn’t you call LeBron?
“Just a lot of running around, just hearing stuff like not trying to get in contact with him or anything, my thing was that if he really wanted to come he would have come no matter what. You know what I am saying? He is grown, he makes his own decisions, and to him he made the right decision so everybody has to live with it because he has to live with it.”
Do you think Boozer is a better fit that Bosh?
“I don’t know. Boozer is a good player. I’m a basketball player and he really don’t care about stats or reaching up on anything he just wants to play ball and win. From one end of the organization he played with good guards even in college and in the NBA like Jason Williams and Deron Williams, and if anything I can learn from him. He has definitely helped boost my game, push me up to another level, so I am happy that we got him.”
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