Does Chicago Bulls’ Derrick Rose deserve criticism for his performance in the Eastern Conference Finals?
The Chicago Bulls and the Miami Heat are currently battling against each other in the Eastern Conference finals for an ultimate spot in the National Basketball Association’s finals. The Miami Heat led by their prolific big-3 have
been utterly dominant and have not only taken an almost insurmountable 3-1 lead, but have done so in style. Throughout the series thus far, the Heat have beaten the Bulls at their own game, at a facet they thrive upon, defence.
But, what the Heat have done most effectively is a thing that most of the teams have struggled to do during this regular and post season combined. The Heat have rendered Chicago’s most lethal offensive weapon Derrick Rose, completely
ineffective.
Rose has simply been the best players in the league this season. He didn’t have the stats as flattering as his two closest rivals, LeBron James and Dwight Howard, in the race to the MVP, but he was the man who single handedly orchestrated
Chicago Bulls revival for the first time since the Michael Jordan era.
He was the most valuable among all the valuable players in the league this year - up until the Eastern Conference Finals. Pitched up against the likes of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and one of the best defences in the
league, Rose has looked only a shadow of himself in the Finals.
Now the question arises, whether it is right to criticize to Rose for his recent slump or are the Heat a bit too much for the league MVP to handle alone.
Many know the fact when the Miami’s LeBron James and Dwyane Wade were not able to perform well in opening game of their Eastern Conference finals; both these players were called by their fans and all their critics as “Overrated”
and “Chokers”. LeBron scored only 15 and Wade was able to score 18 points on open-court. The Heat eventually lost the game from the Bulls 103-82.
Now Rose has been caught in same situation. After losing three game on a trot which has put the Bulls on the cusp of a knock out, Rose below average shooting and his temperament down the stretch has come into the spotlight. After
shooting just 39 percent from the field as compared to 45 percent during the regular season, Rose slumped to 8-of-27 shooting in the all important game-4. He was 1-of-9 from the three point range, committed seven turnovers and also missed a jumper in the last
seconds that could have won the game for the Bulls.
However, with all these poor performances Derrick Rose is still able to escape from the scrutiny of his fans and the vocal critics in NBA. Perhaps the critics now don’t have the moral courage to direct their guns at a player whom
they have been supporting for the MVP title. Or perhaps they realize that Rose cannot carry a lone battle against the three pronged offensive battery of the men from the south beach.
The only plausible reason that Derrick Rose is absconding any major criticism from the fans is that right now many of them are expecting very less from him. Rose is only in his third year; he is inexperienced and is playing at
the big stage for the first time in his career. To expect that he can return the past glories to Chicago in the very year he announced himself is a bit too much, even for an ardent Bulls fan.
And it is not that Rose isn’t giving it a try. He is giving it all. It is just that he has too big a mountain to climb with very little help. The Heat have pounced upon his weaknesses and he is just not experienced enough to fight
back and this is taking a toll on him as the series goes on. The critics realize it, the fans do and this is reason the young prodigy is avoiding all the criticism.
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