Monday, November 24, 2008

Why Derrick Rose will be among the NBA's best for a long time

Here's another reason CHI's Derrick Rose will be a great player for a long time: He not only recognizes when he makes a mistake, but he fully admits it and works to correct it.

When Bulls assistant coach Del Harris approached Rose recently to discuss a missed assignment, Rose quickly acknowledged it, saying: "I know, I know, it was terrible. I can't believe I did that. I should have been over there, and the guy was open, and I missed him."

Said Coach Harris: "He is harder on himself than any coach."

Rose is also eager to learn. After each game, CHI coach Vinny Del Negro has Rose complete a questionnaire. Rose and Coach Del Negro review the completed questionnaires, then file them in a binder until the next time they play that opponent.

According to Coach Del Negro, who learned the technique from Dick Motta:

"Each one has six questions. What offensive sets worked well against this team? What defensive sets were they in? Who did you guard? Was he a post-up player? What was effective and what wasn't? What did you learn about this team, and what did you learn in transition?"

When asked what he learned during a recent loss to Boston, Rose replied:

"They never stopped talking on the court. They were aggressive with everything, always showing emotion. That's not my way. But to be a leader, I've got to do it."