Bulls Vs. Hawks: Derrick Rose Meets Old Mentor In Atlanta

For the first two seasons of his NBA career, the Chicago Bulls' Derrick Rose purportedly learned from his teammate, veteran Kirk Hinrich. Whether that actually happened -- remember that Rose was drafted specifically to take Hinrich's job, which he did during preseason as a rookie -- doesn't matter, as Hinrich has since moved on to greener different pastures. In unloading payroll to chase free agents like Carlos Boozer, the Bulls shipped Hinrich out to the Wizards last June. In Washington, he'd mentor the next fine young point guard, John Wall.

Except the Wizards pushed him on to the Atlanta Hawks, clearing salary and continuing to stockpile picks and young players. All told, no one really cares much for Hinrich at this salary, except for now the Hawks, who significantly upgraded from the aging Mike Bibby in consummating the trade. Hinrich's ability to defend (to some extent) two backcourt positions has given Larry Drew the flexibility to lean on triple-guard lineups featuring Joe Johnson and Jeff Teague. With Bibby instead of Hinrich, that'd have been public suicide.

Meanwhile, in Chicago, with Hinrich gone Rose is now the undisputed sole playmaker on the court most of the time. The Bulls' big men -- Joakim Noah in particular, but also Boozer -- don't get enough credit for their passing ability, but most scoring plays generally start with Rose. That's a good thing, especially since Rose has been able to maintain his efficiency with greater responsibility. When Hinrich was in Chicago, especially in the 2008-09 season, Rose too frequently deferred, and the Bulls' offense suffered. It was always Rose's show, but now there's no good Plan D. It's all Rose, all the time.

If anything, credit Hinrich with giving Rose cover as the ingenue learned the league. Tyreke Evans had similar help as a rookie (Beno Udrih); Wall had Hinrich to carry some possessions for the first part of this season. In Atlanta, Hinrich is used more as he ought to be: a supplemental playmaker and defender, an option. Everyone on the Hawks' roster, excepting Jason Collins, is an option when on the court, and Hinrich fits the flow.