Tom Thibodeau Says Derrick Rose Back to His Explosive Self

Chicago Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau has some very good news for the team’s rabid fan base — Derrick Rose is feeling like his old, explosive self again, reports the coach. Per ESPN: “‘I worked him out about a week ago,’ Thibodeau said in a phone conversation Thursday. ‘It was great.’ Rose missed the entire season rehabbing from a torn ACL in his left knee suffered during last year’s playoffs. His longer-than-expected absence, and the ensuing debate about it, was the overwhelming storyline during a challenging Bulls season that ended in a second-round loss to the Miami Heat. Last season is over, and Thibodeau is looking to the future. ‘Watching the way he’s moving now, there’s a confidence,’ Thibodeau said. ‘[Reporters] may not have been able to see the total work he was putting in. But he was putting in an enormous amount of work each and every day. He just never got to the explosiveness he was comfortable with. I think he’s there now. He feels great, and that’s the most important thing.’ He said Rose is ‘running, lifting, playing and shooting. His day is full.’ […] While reports speculated that Rose was dominating his teammates in the gym (during the season), Thibodeau says now that wasn’t the case. ‘He was practicing and he was good sometimes, but he also wasn’t able to make the kinds of plays he likes to make,’ Thibodeau said. ‘No one is more explosive and can change direction like him. He had to be capable of doing that. That’s what makes him so unique, how quick and explosive he is,’ Thibodeau continued. ‘He can jump sideways to avoid contact. He’s always hopping around. That’s a lot on your knee. You have to be comfortable doing that. He takes off and he doesn’t take long to go from securing the ball to exploding and blowing by somebody.’ Rose will leave Chicago in about a week to start working out with his trainer in Los Angeles. He will also travel to an adidas-sponsored exhibition July 7-10 in Belgrade, Serbia, among other commitments.”