Derrick Rose Return Update: Tom Thibodeau Confident World Cup Stint Worked Well for Chicago Bulls Superstar
Chicago Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau believes that Derrick Rose's stint in the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup will work well for the superstar point guard in the upcoming 2014-15 NBA season.
Following their gold medal finish in the World Cup on Sunday, Thibodeau said that he saw a lot of positives from Rose, particularly the way he handled the tournament's tough schedule.
"He has shown he can handle back-to-backs and three games in a row," Thibodeau said of Rose via Chicago Tribune. "That's all positive."
Rose, who is coming off a second major knee surgery, averaged just 4.8 points and 3.1 assists in nine games, but Thibodeau said that Rose's numbers did not reflect how well the former Most Valuable Player played in the tournament.
Thibodeau admitted that he wanted Rose to shoot more and be more aggressive on the offensive end of the floor, but he reiterated that the 25-year-old superstar is still getting used to taking contacts again after a long layoff.
"Physically he's great. Mentally he's great," Thibodeau said. "Obviously, I want him to shoot the ball better than he did. But I also know this is the first time you're dealing with body on body. It's physical. He's getting hit. He has to get used to that again. That's why it's so important to practice and play."
Rose also said in an interview that he is convinced that he performed well in the tournament, but he admitted that he still needs to get his rhythm back before the start of the next NBA season.
"I still have to get my rhythm back," Rose said. "But as far as I'm concerned, I think I performed good. Coming here, really learning my routine, becoming a pro, I'm going to transfer this to (this) season. Because this (tournament) really helped me with recovery."
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