Every now and then, we get flashes of the explosive, frenetic drives to the basket that Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose used to make on a daily basis. Before the multiple knee injuries, Rose was one of the fastest and most dynamic scorers in the league, able to score 30 points with seeming ease while carrying the Bulls. But those knee injuries robbed Rose of his explosiveness and he has had to deal with a number of maladies, like a broken orbital bone at the beginning of this season, since then.
But for the past several months, Rose has been relatively healthy and has played great in Chicago's past four games, averaging 23 points and shooting 50 percent. He also has increased his scoring average and shooting percentage every month this season. In February, Rose is averaging 21.9 points while shooting 43.9 percent.
And while Rose isn't playing at an MVP level anymore, he says he feels great and believes that he still hasn't reached his ceiling.
"I just feel like I'm back," Rose said.
"I'm just out there playing. Whatever I can do to get my team a victory, that's what I'm going to try to do. When I'm out there, they're giving me midrange [shots], they're giving me drives to the lane. Just mixing up my game and trying to play a solid game while I'm out there."
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"The shots are just going down," Rose said. "My body's been feeling all right, just the shots are going down now. It's paying off. Floaters that I shot earlier in the year, midrange that I shot earlier in the year, even my 3-point shot . . . My legs are getting under me a little bit."
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"There's always room for improvement," he said. "I don't know how good I can become. Nobody knows ... I think it's an unknown ceiling. The way that I'm playing right now, the shots that I'm taking I didn't take when I was younger. I'm shooting off glass now. Defense could get a lot better, but I love the way I'm playing offensively."
Of course after saying he's back, Rose sat out Wednesday's game against the Washington Wizards because of a sore hamstring. But Rose has missed just eight games this season and after several seasons of inconsistent health, this has been one of his healthiest years.
Rose is on pace to play 70 games. He played 61 in the previous three seasons combined.
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) February 25, 2016
And it is important to note that Rose's improved offensive game has occured while Jimmy Butler has been out with an injury. Butler is Chicago's leading scorer and carries most of the team's offensive load. Yet Rose is playing much better overall this season and he is quite right about his ceiling being unknown.
He will never be that explosive guard that won the MVP in 2011 but he could still be a versatile guard and excellent floor leader. That may not be the Rose we will fondly remember yet it may be the best version of the Bulls guard at this stage of his career.
