Derrick Rose

[The_Pharcyde]

he is coming this year...

going to turn a lot of heads around this year

just watch
Sam Smith

And this was at the USA Basketball camp in July in Las Vegas: John Calipari was there since, well, it seems like half the players in the NBA these days once played for him; just supporting his guys. One of his favorites, Rose from Calipari’s time at the U. of Memphis, was missing and Calipari was a little surprised.

So Calipari called Rose.

“I say where are you?” Calipari related during the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame week ceremonies earlier this month when Calipari was being enshrined. “He says, ’Coach, I’m telling you, I’m coming back.’ He said, ‘I want to win a championship for Chicago and I’m going to be the MVP again.’

“I hung up,” Calipari recalled, “and I went right to Gar Forman and said, ‘It’s back on. I’m just telling you.’”

Calipari was one of the premier inductees at this year’s enshrinement and as such was the last honoree to speak during the ceremonies. He is a three-time collegiate coach of the year with six Final Four appearances, though he faced controversy with appearances vacated at the U. of Massachusetts and the U. of Memphis. Lately at the U. of Kentucky, Calipari has become a veritable pipeline to the NBA for players and has coached four No. 1 overall NBA draft picks, Rose being the first. So Calipari has stayed close with Rose.

I ran into Calipari before his speech, and he was anxious to not only talk about Rose but also explain why he believes Rose finally is ready to return to the form that can help lead the Bulls to a championship.

“You have to understand this kid,” Calipari commanded in his persuasive style. “We walked out and played Texas (2008 NCAA South Regional final). I was nervous as heck. We’re at Memphis; we’re not supposed to beat Michigan State; we’re up 50-20. We’re not supposed to beat Texas in Houston. I’m in the locker room and I’m nervous as heck and he (Rose) walks in. He looks at me and says, ‘Watch this today.”

“What!” I say. “I didn’t understand. I said to (assistant) Rod Strickland, ‘Why is he so….’

“Rod said, ‘Because everybody was saying (Texas’ D.J.) Augustin was the better point guard,’” Calipari recalled. “Augustin went from like top five to like 20 in that game.”

Rose had 21 points, nine assists and six rebounds while hounding Augustin to four of 18 shooting in a dominant 85-67 Memphis win. Though Augustin was picked No. 9 in the 2008 draft.

But we’ve seen this from Rose even not at his best after injuries, coming up with brilliant performances against the top guards in the league, like Chris Paul, John Wall, Damian Lillard, all the guys they began to say again were better than Rose. He doesn’t advertise a deep pride, but it burns within Rose. Those who know Rose best, like Calipari, can hear it again in his tone, his words, his defiance.

Rose offered his own assurance as well Monday, matter-of-fact as he is wont to do.

“I can’t get caught up into that,” Rose said when asked about not being regarded around the NBA as he was when he was an MVP in 2011. “I know I’m great. There’s a lot of people that don’t know I’m great; that’s the thing. But it’s cool. I know I can hoop. You can put me anywhere and I know how to play the game of basketball. I can’t get mad at people for how they criticize my game and the way that I play, or the way that I used to play. I know I’m great, and that’s it.’’

Like saying once again, “Watch this.”

“Look, at the beginning of the year (at Memphis), I’m thinking, ‘This kid he’s not (what I thought), he’s got a lot of work to do,’” recalled Calipari. “And then it was about the end of December we played Tennessee at home and he took the team on his shoulders and he tried to will us to a win. We walked off the court and I said, ‘This kid, he’s gone (after this season). Let’s figure out who our point guard is going to be because he’s not going to be here.’ Then by the end of the year I said this kid is the No. 1 pick.

http://blogs.bulls.com/2015/09/rose-...ummer-of-work/

[Legends66NBA7]

Aight.

[RidonKs]

he got better as last year wore on...

[Cold soul]

We shall see I sure hope so.

[imdaman99]

Here's hoping he's back. And man up, do not get shut down by Dellevadildo in the playoffs

[poido123]

second year after a major surgery generally shows the most improvement.


I think Rose will surprise everyone this year. I suspect he will bounce back in a big way.

[dubeta]

Same shit.. different year



He has to worry about attending his sons graduation without turning his ankle, surely thats more important than playing in the NBA?

[DaOldLion]

hope so

[Megabox!]

Weren't people saying the same exact thing about last season?

[24-Inch_Chrome]

Doubt it but we'll see.