Horace Grant says Carlos Boozer needs to be Derrick Rose’s Scottie Pippen: NBA News
Subsequent to a comprehensive defeat at the hands of Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals series last season, the echoes of finding a reliable scoring option to complement Derrick Rose at Chicago Bulls gained strength immensely. Horace Grant, the former Bulls power forward is the latest to join the echo.
While giving an interview to the ESPNChicago.com, four-time NBA Champion stated that Carlos Boozer needs to intensify his game to support Rose on the offense. Grant suggested that Boozer’s role in the team should be similar to what was Scottie Pippen’s to Michael Jordan.
“Boozer needs to be, for lack of a better phrase, Scottie Pippen to a Michael Jordan, You have scorers. You have Rose. You have [Luol] Deng. You have guys coming off the bench. [Boozer] needs to be a combination of being that physical presence down low. He has the body to do it. He can score whenever he gets himself in the right position.” Grant said.
Rose was a revelation last season and after two years of showing promise, the shooting guard finally delivered at the big stage. He was unstoppable throughout the regular season and not only helped the Bulls end the regular season as NBA’s best, he also became the youngest player ever to become the MVP.
He then helped the Bulls roll over the Indiana Pacers in the first round of playoffs and Atlanta Hawks in the second. However, all his brilliance and that of the Bulls came crashing down to earth, when pitched up against the likes of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh – the trio which held the reins of the formidable Miami Heat.
James owned Rose in that series and apparently Bulls had no “Plan B” in place. With Rose struggling to drive down the lane, players like Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah became non entities and the Bulls crashed out of the title contention.
The defeat was a hard pill to swallow for the Windy City and still, there are many former greats, who are exhorting the Bulls to add strength for next season. Former Chicago Bulls power forward Horace Grant is one of those greats.
The 29-year-old Boozer has the talent and the experience to form a formidable duo with Derrick Rose. However, this will only happen if he commits himself to go an extra mile and develops more thirst to bring the NBA Championship trophy.
While criticizing Boozer on his fitness, Grant added that he was confident Boozer has the competency required;
“Yeah, no question. I've been watching his career even when he was in Utah and Cleveland. He can do it. There's no question about it. Hopefully for the Bulls, and for the years to come, he will do it."
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