The Chicago Bulls have lost six of eight games after a 108-94 defeat at the hands of the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday, and Derrick Rose has had enough of the lackluster play, according to Nick Friedell of ESPN Chicago.
Derrick Rose says Bulls’ defensive struggles are ‘f***ing irritating’
The Bulls put forth another poor defensive effort in a blowout loss to the Cavaliers on Monday, and Rose has seen enough.
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Rose expressed his frustration in the locker room after the game, and he had some ideas for what was causing the team’s struggles: “I think communication is huge,” Rose said. “We’re quiet when we’re out there, and it’s leading to them getting easy baskets. We got to give a better effort. It seems like we’re not even competing, and it’s f---ing irritating.”
Rose also said “everybody has to be on the same page” or else “we’re going to continue to get our ass kicked.” He made sure to note that he wasn’t singling anybody out and that the whole team was at fault.
The Bulls never led Monday and trailed by as many as 25 points in a dismal effort that has become far too commonplace of late, especially on the defensive end. Chicago has never finished outside the top five in defensive rating under Tom Thibodeau, but that's going to change barring a big turnaround this season.
The Bulls have given up nearly 103 points per 100 possessions on the year, which is 12th in the league, per NBA.com. Over the last eight games, Chicago’s defensive rating is over 110, a staggering number for a team coached by Thibodeau.
Chicago has been without Mike Dunleavy for the last 10 games and Joakim Noah for the last three, and while those are key losses, it's not an excuse for the lack of effort that has been evident the past few weeks.
Furthermore, the Bulls' defense hasn't exactly been dominant even when the usual starting lineup of Rose, Dunleavy, Noah, Jimmy Butler and Pau Gasol has been on the court. In 276 minutes this season, that unit has given up over 105 points per 100 possessions, per NBA.com. That's the mark of a bottom 10 defense.
Noah’s health has been a point of contention all year long. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year hasn’t looked like himself even when he has played following knee surgery in May. Not only has he had to work his way back from that surgery, but recurring ankle injuries have hindered him as well.
Exacerbating the issue is the fact that Noah has often been playing out of position as a power forward with Gasol as the center. Noah was the Defensive Player of the Year as the anchor of a dominant defense last season, but he has been asked to run around and defend stretch 4’s on a gimpy leg this year because Gasol is immobile on the defensive end. The fit with Gasol has also been awkward on offense due to spacing issues.
Thibodeau called his team’s play “not acceptable” after the loss in Cleveland, and he’s supposedly willing to make adjustments to the rotation in order to find a solution:
Thibodeau said he will look at everything, including rotational changes.
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) January 20, 2015 Those rotational changes could mean less Gasol, who has played a big minutes load and could use more rest. It could also mean changing up the wing rotation and using more Tony Snell, Doug McDermott and E'Twaun Moore in order to give Butler more of a break and Kirk Hinrich less minutes.
If the Bulls want to avoid further embarrassment, some type of change needs to happen soon. Chicago has two days off before a back-to-back against the San Antonio Spurs and Dallas Mavericks. Then after a date with the Miami Heat on Sunday, there's a six-game road trip that features three games against Western Conference playoff teams in the Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets and Phoenix Suns.
Chicago has shown they can beat some of the best teams in the league this season. However, if the Bulls want to get back to their winning ways, it must start on the defensive end. Rose, Thibodeau and others can talk all they want about getting better, but now they must walk the walk instead of just talking the talk.
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