Derrick Rose is holding himself accountable.
He's not making a chart, or setting out a bunch of goals on an Excel spreadsheet. No, Rose has a different method. The Bulls guard has vowed to grow out his hair until he starts playing better:
Rose made a vow to a group of reporters after Wednesday's practice at USC that he wouldn't cut his hair until he gets on track. The Bulls, of course, would rather see Rose play with aggressiveness than with an Afro.
"I need to change something," Rose said. "There has to be something I'm doing wrong. I know the (right ankle tendon) injury was something. But it's taking too long to get back.
"We're winning, so I don't care anything about my game. But if we weren't winning, I'm playing terrible. I'm not going to the hole like I used to. It seems to me that I'm not that aggressive. But it's going to change (Thursday night against the Lakers)."
This is not good for anybody. If Rose keeps playing poorly, we all lose. Rose has to wear a (presumably) hideous hairstyle. The Bulls don't get their future All-Star. And Bulls fans not only have to deal with Rose playing in a subpar way, they have to watch him do so while sporting a gigantic afro. There are no winners in this scenario.
Which is why it's imperative Rose start getting to the hoop and take better advantage of opportunities in transition. Not only will the Bulls be the better for it, but Rose can save himself some grooming concerns. And in that world, we all win.
Eamonn Brennan is a Chicago-based writer, editor and blogger. He is the editor of Yahoo! Sports's college basketball blog The Dagger and a contributor to Inside The Hall. Follow him at his personal site, eamonnbrennan.com, or on Twitter.
