Thibs believes it is “terrific preparation” for the new NBA season…
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Chicago Bulls Coach Tom Thibodeau insists that the experience of playing at the FIBA World Cup 2014 in Spain this summer is “all positive” for Derrick Rose.
The 25-year-old point guard has struggled on the whole to have a significant impact on Team USA’s progress, going scoreless again in the win over Mexico on Saturday.
Rose went 0-of-5 shooting with four assists against three turnovers in just over 16 minutes of action, and despite suggestions that he would start in this tournament, Kyrie Irving has taken that role for himself.
Nevertheless, the Bulls star does appear to be moving well with glimpses of his speed and explosiveness, but after playing in just 10 games over the past two NBA seasons, it is clear that Rose is lacking that consistency in his shooting which will hopefully come in time.
Thibodeau is not concerned by his slump though, insisting that the experience will be positive in terms of Rose working his way back to the level he was performing at prior to suffering those two serious knee injuries.
“This is terrific preparation for him. There’s nothing negative about this. This is all positive,” he said, the Chicago Tribune reports.
“Everyone has to take a step back and look at it in totality. He’s moving great. The rest of it is going to come.”
Thibodeau went on to say that Rose’s mindset is “terrific” and he is delighted to be at such close quarters during his progress this summer in his position as an assistant coach with Team USA.
The experience of training alongside some of the best talents in the NBA this summer will undoubtedly be of benefit to Rose as he looks to make a strong return for the Bulls next season.
While he insists that it is almost an All-Star game scenario when he comes off the bench given Team USA’s general dominance in the tournament thus far, his positive attitude will likely have an impact on his confidence on the court when the competition heats up.
The more immediate concern will be continuing to work off the rust and improve on his conditioning, and with that the shooting will improve and Rose is widely expected to return to his previous level of performance as he continues to show both his mental and physical strength in overcoming such devastating injuries.
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