For three games now, Derrick Rose has come off the top of the high screen and saw a line of defenders. Sometimes it’s a trap and a traditional double team. Sometimes its more of a soft double with the next guy just rotated over ready to come — the Heat have the athletes to come at him in waves.
Rose has done what basketball coaches have told him since elementary school — when all those guys are on you someone else has to be open. Pass the ball.
Rose has done that and watched Bulls offense struggle. Tuesday night he is going to see what he can do if he attacks more, he told the Chicago Tribune.“I definitely believe in them,” Rose said of his teammates. “But I want to see what I can do if I take the double-team on. I saw what the double-team did the last two games. My passing the ball the majority of the time really isn’t working. Or we’re not running the right play to get people open. We went over the plays and play calls (Monday). (Tuesday), I have to be way more aggressive….
“That’s not me,” Rose said. “I’m thinking too much, trying to get the ball out of my hands so that my teammates can make plays. ... I have to change my mindset right now. Usually when I come out, I see how the defense is playing me. They’ve been double-teaming me the whole time, especially in pick-and-roll. The big (man) stays up until I get the ball out of my hands.
“Starting (Tuesday), from beginning to end, I have to be way more aggressive. I have to find a way. I don’t know how I’m going to do it. But I have to search out the opportunity and go for it.”
Rose sounds like Tom Thibodeau coached the last game — like a guy desperately looking for answers. The Heat’s athletes on defense have made the offense of “Derrick Rose and the Rosettes” not work. As great as Rose is at finding seams, the Heat’s defense has great athletes who can cut those seams off.
The Bulls got a good game from Carlos Boozer with 26 points last outing, but they need more. They need someone to knock down threes and make the Heat pay for packing the lane with people to stop Rose. Maybe a more aggressive Rose can bring that out of his teammates.
Or maybe it plays into the hands of the Heat.
