Wennington: Rose Settled Too Much In Game 1
CHICAGO (WSCR) As the Bulls prepare for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Atlanta Hawks Wednesday night, radio analyst Bill Wennington is looking back at what went wrong in Monday night's series opener.
One of the problems, among many, was the play of point guard Derrick Rose.
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"They were playing off of Derrick a little bit, they were really crowding the lane," Wennington told The Danny Mac Show on 670 The Score. "But Derrick has to close that gap. He had to challenge Jeff Teague to come up and play him."
Rose finished the game with 24 points, but only made 11-of-27 field goals.
"He had open shots -- 22-23 foot shots right around the three point line -- and I think he settled a little much," Wennington said. "And it's probably different for him because that's exactly the opposite of what Indiana did (in the first round)."
Indeed, the Pacers sent double teams at Rose the entire series, while the Hawks tried a much more passive approach in Game 1, which took away some of Rose's aggressiveness.
"The Bulls really need Derrick to play aggressive for them to do well," Wennington added.
As for Rose's dinged up ankle, Wennington seems to think it is a non-issue.
"I don't really worry about it," he said. "Derrick is one tough cookie ... I know if there is any way possible, Derrick Rose is going to be out there playing basketball. And if he is out there, then the Bulls have a chance."
