Derrick Rose has struggled with his shot during the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup with a 21.6 percent success rate from the field for Team USA, but the Chicago Bulls point guard and former league MVP tweaked his shot and could be ready to go off.
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Rose has made just eight of his 37 attempts as he shakes the rust off after playing in only 10 games over the last two regular seasons with knee injuries, but a Monday shoot around with Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau resulted in Rose saying, “Tomorrow is going to be a different game. I think I found it now. Just changed one little thing,” via ESPN.
The youngest MVP in league history has reportedly altered the lift he takes on his jump shots and Team USA head coach Mike Krzysewski is hoping to see a new mindset in addition to his new shot and hopes Rose will be more aggressive and not be so unselfish.
“I’d like to see Rose go off,” Krzyzewski said Monday.
Guard play is going to be even more important as the USA gets closer to the championship round, most likely against Spain, and Coach K wants to see Rose drive to the rim and finish at the rack rather than looking to get his other teammates involved offensively.
“He’s trying to get everyone involved,” Krzyzewski said. “He looks for his stuff not just fifth sometimes, but sixth or seventh. And we need him to look like he’s 1 or 2 when he’s out on the court. Look to make plays for people, but try to make plays for yourself, too. He’s being very unselfish and trying to be a great teammate. It all comes from a good place. [But] we would like for him to look for his stuff.
Rose says he is just playing a role on this team loaded with NBA All-Stars but when the NBA regular season starts he will be the player Bulls remember scoring 20-25 points per game before he went down with a torn ACL and later a torn meniscus.
“Everybody is getting mad because I’m not shooting the ball more,” said Rose. “That’s strange. I’m not gonna change my game just because people want me to shoot more. I’m gonna do exactly what the game tells me to do. This is my role on this team. With the Bulls, of course I’m going to get up 20, 25 shots. [This role is] not going to change anything.”