Derrick Rose Is A Tough Grader

If there has been anything more impressive about the Bulls Derrick Rose's ability to play the game of basketball during his rookie season, it has been his attitude and maturity.  Whether he's taking the blame for a bad loss, or talking about what he needs to work on and improve in his game, Rose is always thinking about how to improve himself and his team.

The latest example of this comes from the Chicago Tribune who interviewed Rose and asked him how he would grade himself this season.  All he's done so far is average 16.6 points and 6.2 assists per game while shooting 47% from the field and helping lead the Bulls back to the playoffs under a rookie coach.

So you probably think you deserve an A for your rookie campaign, don't you Derrick?

"I'd probably go with a B or B-minus," said the probable Rookie of the Year. "We haven't won enough and I've committed too many turnovers."

That's an assessment that most Bulls fans will probably disagree with.  Rose came into a situation where he was playing in his hometown, in front of his friends and family, and was seen as a savior to a Bulls franchise that hasn't really found an identity since Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Phil Jackson left town.

He joined a team with all the expectations in the world on his shoulders after being chosen first in the NBA draft, and was doing so on a team with a head coach that had never coached a game in his life.  Most Bulls fans entered the season just hoping to see Rose flash his potential, help win a few games, and then miss the playoffs and hopefully get lucky in the lottery again.

Instead the Bulls look like they'll be making the playoffs, and after a fantastic trade by John Paxson to bring in John Salmons and Brad Miller, the Bulls suddenly seem a lot closer to being a contender in the NBA.

None of which would be happening without Rose.  So while Derrick is correct in saying he needs to improve some areas of his game, especially the turnovers, he'll have to pardon us when we say he'd make a very tough teacher.  He can give himself a B, but we're going to have to give him an A.  Maybe even an A-minus, but only because we want the minus to serve as motivation.