Yowzers!

So, I think it was pretty clearly the case last night against the Dallas Palin-McCains that Derrick Rose is ALREADY the best player on our team, and by a pretty wide margin. I don't know how good this team is going to be this year (my guess would be middling), but he's going to be A LOT of fun to watch.

I took some notes last night, kind of a credit/debit ledger of Rose's play. As you can see, he is clearly in the black.

Things to like about Rose:

--Oooh, nice alley-oop pass to Tyrus (Gotta finish that, Ty!)
--Pick and pop game with Gooden, speed draws both defenders
--Can really push the ball
--AN ALLEY-OOP! Crazy hops!
--Seems able to get past Kidd at will (maybe not a big deal these days) and find open man (If Tyrus and Gooden can hit open jumpers this year, they're going to feast.)
--Knows how to cut to the hoop w/o ball
--WOW! EXPLOSIVE TO THE RIM!
--Nice pass from top of key to cutting Hughes (who, of course, missed the shot)
--Great drive-and-jump-stop to get defenders in the air (gotta hit the bunny after that, tho.)
--Nice steal and set-up of Thabo
--Really running the offense nicely to start 2nd half; great feel for each possession, when to push tempo, slow it down, attack, pass, etc.
--Explodes through creases
--Another great cut through the lane, but no one saw him

Things to not like:
--Some quick, ill-advised threes (in beginning; but not many after that).
--FT shooting?
--Ill-advised pass in crowded lane
--Dumb offensive foul at end of half (altho if it was Ben Gordon wide open at the three, instead of Thabo, wouldn't he have dished it?)
--Seems a little fatigued after about 9 min. straight.

Miscellaneous Observations:

--Whoa: Neil Funk looks disconcertingly like the love child of David Frum and the Mystery Man from Lost Highway
--Bulls forwards HAVE to find Rose immediately after rebounding. HE runs the break, THEY fill the lanes. (I'm looking at you, Drew Gooden; just because you can dribble the ball down the court, doesn't mean you should.)
--Larry Hughes needs to be shot
--Defense in general is horrible
--Even with Noah, this team will be awfully small and weak up front
--Tyrus looks active this year
--Ooh, Aaron Gray IS thin!
--Larry Hughes needs to be shot again
--Aaron Gray: passable offense, horrible defense
--Dear Ty: Please stop trying to go one-on-one. It's embarrassing for yourself, your fans, and I imagine even your defender feels a little shame in how easy you make his job against you.
--I've done it--the perfect Larry Hughes analogy: He is a lazy Kobe Bryant without talent
--Half-court offense REALLY stagnates w/o ball in Rose's hand
--It's almost as if our players have never had to fight through back picks before
--This whole notion of a guard glut? Don't see it: Until Thabo Sefolosha can start making 20-footers and Larry Hughes can stop shooting them endlessly, they shouldn't play.