Dry Spell for Derrick

Until Derrick Rose is completely back to his familiar superstar level, he's going to be open to criticisms of all kinds.  Before, they said he wasn't taking enough shot and passing off too much.  Now, he's apparently taking too many shots which aren't falling.  When you're 19-for-78 (24.4 percent) from the field over your past four games, you're going to hear about it.

People have noticed a change in Rose's game from when he used to drive recklessly every game.  They say it means he's too afraid of getting hurt again.  It means he's no longer the player the city fell in love with.  And the Bulls are paying him too much to only drive at certain points in the game instead of all the time.

Yet through it all, Rose is making no apologies for shooting whenever he gets a clean opportunity.  He says his confidence is through the roof and right now, he's not passing up his chances.  He cares little about what others are saying about him.  Shooting at will is his current preferred method on his journey back to superstardom.

Rose should absolutely be taking whatever steps he feels necessary to return to his former glory.  Jimmy Butler and Pau Gasol may be having better years than him, but he's still the most important player on the roster.  Nobody ever said the playing phase of his rehabilitation was going to be easy, but people expect instantaneous results I suppose.  That's just the nature of man.

It's as if this journey Rose has embarked on is coming in phases.  First, he wasn't taking his opportunities to score.  Now, he's being too selfish with the ball when everyone knows he's in a cold spell.  There's seemingly no way for him to satisfy everyone in his current state.

As for me, I've never been one to tell Rose how he should go about this process and I'm not going to start now.  In fact, what he's done so far this season aside from the first few weeks is very impressive.  I wasn't quite sure what to expect when he embarked on The Return II, but I was hoping he would contribute in a very meaningful way.  He has not disappointed me.

So cool your engines about the Bulls' star point guard.  Assuming he plays Monday against the Houston Rockets, he'll have plenty of chances to improve his shooting against James Harden's club.  If the shooting woes don't stop then, they eventually will.  So forget about what's wrong and focus on the right, which is Rose playing well enough.