Lebron23
09-29-2015, 03:18 AM
http://static01.nyt.com/images/2015/02/28/sports/28nba-1/28nba-1-blog427.jpg
Change the coach. Max out the budding first-time All-Star. Watch the possible Hall of Fame veteran turn in a dominant international performance.
The Bulls did all of that and more during the offseason, which ended with Monday's media day and the start of training camp with double practice sessions Tuesday. But as usual, the spotlight eventually finds its way back to Derrick Rose.
Rose spoke publicly for the first time since his ex-girlfriend filed a civil suit in Los Angeles alleging he and two friends sexually assaulted her. General manager Gar Forman said the non-criminal legal situation won't cause Rose to miss camp and offered support, calling Rose "part of our family."
Reiterating a statement he released last month, Rose vehemently denied the civil complaint.
"It's not true," he said. "I can't let one incident that's not true affect the way that I live, and I'm not going to let it. I love my life actually, so I can't complain about anything. I've just got to take this, use it as fuel and the season is around the corner."
It's a season Rose enters after a summer of workouts rather than rehabilitation for the first time since 2011. That's three knee surgeries ago.
The Bulls replaced Tom Thibodeau with Fred Hoiberg, paid Jimmy Butler $95 million over five years and admired Pau Gasol's virtuoso performance at this month's EuroBasket.
Photos: 2015 Bulls media day
But if they're to challenge LeBron James and the Cavaliers for Eastern Conference supremacy, Rose, who turns 27 on Sunday, will need to regain at least a semblance of his All-Star form.
"I know I'm great," Rose said. "There's a lot of people that don't know I'm great, but it's cool. I know I can hoop."
Recalling last season's head-scratching comment about saving his body for future business meetings and his son's graduation, Rose brought up, unsolicited, his 2017 free agency. While stating he wants to remain in Chicago, he did so in the context of the rising salaries that will follow the influx of TV money next season.
When Rose talks basketball, matters are smoother. He said his offseason workouts in Los Angeles featured two hours of track work followed by one hour of on-the-court drills.
"Just getting back into a routine, which is something I haven't done in three or four years," Rose said. "It felt good."
Hoiberg, who spent time with each player in the offseason, witnessed some of the workouts.
"I saw the explosiveness and loved the training that he did," Hoiberg said. "I saw him in the weight room in the morning and then got with him on the floor in the afternoon.
"Rewatching the Milwaukee and Cleveland (playoff) series, he finished the year playing at a very high level. And (he took) that momentum into his offseason program. Derrick's in terrific shape. He's done really good things with his body, and having that whole summer where he hasn't been rehabbing and being able to add to his game is very important. I anticipate Derrick getting off to a great start."
Forman agreed.
"He's in a really good place physically and mentally," he said. "Listening to how motivated he is, sometimes we forget when you have to go through three summers of rehab and then he gets the opportunity to do what he loves and train all summer, it's been real positive."
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/basketball/bulls/ct-derrick-rose-media-day-20150928-story.html
I hope he returns to his old form. Rose earned my respect in last year's playoffs.
He might become the first MVP to win the MIP Award.
Change the coach. Max out the budding first-time All-Star. Watch the possible Hall of Fame veteran turn in a dominant international performance.
The Bulls did all of that and more during the offseason, which ended with Monday's media day and the start of training camp with double practice sessions Tuesday. But as usual, the spotlight eventually finds its way back to Derrick Rose.
Rose spoke publicly for the first time since his ex-girlfriend filed a civil suit in Los Angeles alleging he and two friends sexually assaulted her. General manager Gar Forman said the non-criminal legal situation won't cause Rose to miss camp and offered support, calling Rose "part of our family."
Reiterating a statement he released last month, Rose vehemently denied the civil complaint.
"It's not true," he said. "I can't let one incident that's not true affect the way that I live, and I'm not going to let it. I love my life actually, so I can't complain about anything. I've just got to take this, use it as fuel and the season is around the corner."
It's a season Rose enters after a summer of workouts rather than rehabilitation for the first time since 2011. That's three knee surgeries ago.
The Bulls replaced Tom Thibodeau with Fred Hoiberg, paid Jimmy Butler $95 million over five years and admired Pau Gasol's virtuoso performance at this month's EuroBasket.
Photos: 2015 Bulls media day
But if they're to challenge LeBron James and the Cavaliers for Eastern Conference supremacy, Rose, who turns 27 on Sunday, will need to regain at least a semblance of his All-Star form.
"I know I'm great," Rose said. "There's a lot of people that don't know I'm great, but it's cool. I know I can hoop."
Recalling last season's head-scratching comment about saving his body for future business meetings and his son's graduation, Rose brought up, unsolicited, his 2017 free agency. While stating he wants to remain in Chicago, he did so in the context of the rising salaries that will follow the influx of TV money next season.
When Rose talks basketball, matters are smoother. He said his offseason workouts in Los Angeles featured two hours of track work followed by one hour of on-the-court drills.
"Just getting back into a routine, which is something I haven't done in three or four years," Rose said. "It felt good."
Hoiberg, who spent time with each player in the offseason, witnessed some of the workouts.
"I saw the explosiveness and loved the training that he did," Hoiberg said. "I saw him in the weight room in the morning and then got with him on the floor in the afternoon.
"Rewatching the Milwaukee and Cleveland (playoff) series, he finished the year playing at a very high level. And (he took) that momentum into his offseason program. Derrick's in terrific shape. He's done really good things with his body, and having that whole summer where he hasn't been rehabbing and being able to add to his game is very important. I anticipate Derrick getting off to a great start."
Forman agreed.
"He's in a really good place physically and mentally," he said. "Listening to how motivated he is, sometimes we forget when you have to go through three summers of rehab and then he gets the opportunity to do what he loves and train all summer, it's been real positive."
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/basketball/bulls/ct-derrick-rose-media-day-20150928-story.html
I hope he returns to his old form. Rose earned my respect in last year's playoffs.
He might become the first MVP to win the MIP Award.