Bulls select Derrick Rose

even Pax-speak couldn’t ruin this one. This is just sweet.

Hernan (FL): Hi, Derrick. Which one of your new bulls teammate do you look more forward to practice with?

Derrick Rose: Tyrus Thomas. He’s used to playing the typ of game tha tI play – the uptempo game.

BTizzle (AZ): Rose, do you think there will be some competitiion between you and Kirk?

Derrick Rose: I don’t think so.

hahaha

Is it me or does he not have much going on upstairs? I know Beasley has looney tunes, but Rose just has static.

slim pickings

consternation and frustration all year.

That is one of the two things that can turn a joyous season into a long, miserable one.

The other is that Beasley (or Mayo) thrives and Rose struggles. The second guessing would be intolerable.

I cannot WAIT to see Rose in the UC. I haven’t been this excited in a decade.

Cmon DeAndre slip…

I wouldn’t mind taking a chance on him in the 2nd round. He’d have been picked a lot higher if he could have gone pro out of high school two years ago. The injuries have killed his value, but the 2nd round is the time to take a gamble on someone.

Jordan was supposed to go in the top 20

Too many guards as it is.

Hinrich should be moved it would be the worst thing to bench Rose.

Choices

he can play point, has size, and played for good college teams. he was better than CDR

c’mon most of you guys have even seen him play

but we really needed a big guy like that Jawaii guy.

Sonny Weems closed out his college career on the highest note possible, putting together an excellent NCAA tournament leading 9th seeded Arkansas to the second round, where they were blown out by North Carolina. It probably won’t be the 8-20, 22 point game he finished up with against UNC, but rather his game-changing performance in the first round against 8th seeded Indiana (31 points, 12-14 FG) that raised quite a few eyebrows from the many scouts in attendance. In hindsight, this weekend will probably end up looked at as being just what the doctor ordered in terms of kick-starting the pre-draft process into high gear for him.

In terms of physical attributes, Weems grades out very well at the shooting guard position, showing excellent size at 6-6, a solid frame, a good wingspan, and very nice athletic ability. He is very agile, fluid and quick off his feet, and even explosive in some instances, fitting the bill and then some for an NBA wing player.

Most of Weems’ offense comes off his jump-shot, where he is at his best coming off screens and elevating from mid-range distances. He sets his feet quickly, and has a high release point on his jumper, adding in a slight fade-away that makes it pretty difficult to guard. He can put the ball on the floor once or twice and pull-up off the dribble semi-well, creating very nice separation from his defender in the process, a testament to his athletic ability. His shooting mechanics are not consistent and he has a few fundamental flaws that hinder him from being much more effective from long range, but his good touch and solid overall scoring instincts allow him to get by with what he has at the current level of competition he plays at.

Weems’ jumper loses accuracy when he’s unable to fully set his feet before he releases it. He has plenty of wasted motion, starting off with the fact that he brings the ball down before bringing it back up, and then cocks it behind his head for good measure, which doesn’t allow him to get it off as quickly as he should. He seems to kick his feet out unnecessarily after elevating off the ground, fading away for no particular reason, which hurts his percentages as well. In the tape we saw, he looked infinitely better with his jump-shot when he made a conscious effort not to fade away and came down on two feet, something he should certainly work on to maximize his potential as a shooter.

As a slasher, Weems is strong and athletic enough to get to the rim off one or two dribbles and will generally finish well once he gets there, but he’s not crafty enough to consistently create his own shot even at the college level. His ball-handling skills are poor, as he’s unable to change directions in traffic or execute any real advanced moves against opposition. He doesn’t like finishing with his left hand, gets to the free throw line only about twice a game, and also lacks polish on his mid-range jumper.

Defensively, Weems is extremely poor, clearly lacking awareness and fundamentals, not getting in any type of real stance, getting lost within his team’s scheme on a regular basis, and often resorting to just gambling for steals and chasing after the ball instead of rotating and playing sound defense. He has all the tools to be extremely effective in this area, so it’s a bit surprising why he can’t translate them into success on this end of the floor. His junior college roots likely have a lot to do with it.

Weems is a team player, though, not being selfish in the least bit, and looking more than willing to give up the ball within his team’s offense. He executes their sets crisply and seems to have pretty good court vision, particularly in terms of making post-entry passes.

All in all, Weems still seems to have nice upside despite being finished with his college career, and could emerge as a viable NBA player down the road if he’s willing to work on his very obvious, but very correctable flaws. Becoming a consistent shooter and a reliable perimeter defender should be his first priorities, but he’s a guy to keep an eye out for, even if he doesn’t make it in the first go-around. He has a chance to make a strong impression in a few weeks at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, where he should be one of the more interesting player for NBA teams to take a look at. We should keep in mind that he’s still only 21 years old.

its hysterical. 2nd round picks rarely matter. and that goes for your precious CDR as well.

I thought we were going to make some noise tonight now im thinking Rose is riding the bench.

It may have eased Rose’s transition.

In any case, second round picks rarely matter.

That being said, this pick clearly has to signal an imminent guard trade.

stating that Bulls will not rush to trade backcourt players b/c Rose is so young.

feels Rose can play with Kirk and with Ben

won’t rush with Rose because Rose is so young

preaches patience

interestingly, says that he received one offer today for number one pick that was “okay,” but ultimately decided not to take it

PAXSON STATES THAT WEEMS IS PART OF DEAL FOR PLAYER WHO CAN’T JOIN BULLS FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS. SAYS BULLS TARGETED TWO PLAYERS AND GOT BOTH?

Tyrus will be better player because of Rose

Rose puts TT in position to use athleticism

Don’t expect Rose to lead right away

in interviews, Dorsey said Rose cautious early on and then gained confidence. At tourney, Rose told Memphis team that he was going to go out and score more, then he did..

Bu haven’t said a name.

guess is that the player is Pekovic, the big center.

From Draft Express:

“Nikola Pekovic has reached an agreement with Panathinaikos for, apparently, the following three seasons. He will only move to the Greek powerhouse after his current season with Partizan is finished.

Pekovic blossomed this season into one of the most productive inside men all over Europe, which combined with his youth, made him one of the most attractive players on the European market. Rumors say he was paid as much as 4.5 million Euros (6.55 million dollars net) for three years, which is similar to the type of money this year’s #1 overall pick will receive in gross terms. This move is a clear statement by the player towards a future in the European scene for the mid-term. He hasn’t even waited for the NBA draft to evaluate his options at the American league. In the end, this is certainly a hit to his draft stock. Since any team drafting him in the end of the first round will likely never see him step foot on an NBA court (because of the extremely limiting rookie scale), it’s much more likely that he goes in the 2nd round now”

cripes

to Comcast.

He’s very likable.

Throwing out the first pitch at the Cubs-Sox game tomorrow.

And I’m watching him do it.

I’m giddy.

Can this really be the day I have been waiting a decade for?

Is Rose our next homegrown superstar?

Says Milwaukee had the best draft day.

For Mike Miller and Kevin love. On ESPN now.

are gonna play Love and Jefferson together eh?

It’s not working.

I can’t wait to get back in my seat at the UC.