The Chicago Bulls have just two losses on a very young NBA season and yet everyone is wondering what is wrong with the team. Derrick Rose has not looked his best while the defense allowed the Charlotte Hornets to put 130 points on them. Many would say this is simply a team getting used to a new coaching staff, but some NBA analysts believe it could spark major changes for the Bulls.
ESPN's Brian Windhorst is beginning to stir the pot for Bulls fans as he says the team's breakup with Rose is already beginning. The NBA Insider went on ESPN radio and stated, "The Derrick Rose breakup with the Bulls has begun. I don't know how long it's going to last. I don't know when it's going to be complete, but you can sort of see it. The team and the franchise have moved on to a little bit of a certain extent...His attitude has been not terrific. The comments that he made about his contract in 2017, you want to talk about being tone deaf?"
Bulls' fans should really take this with a grain of salt as they could simply be opinion based and not fact based as the franchise has made no indications that they plan on parting ways with their star point guard. The idea is certainly not completely off base. Rose has been injured for the better part of three seasons and that has not thrilled the Bulls organization. There was also the comments regarding his contract as he stated free agency is on his mind. There were also those reports of a beef with Jimmy Butler that did not thrill people. Does that mean Rose is trade bait in the coming year? No one knows, but Windhorst believes it is only a matter of time.
The same reports are surfacing about Joakim Noah as well. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the center is in need of a much-improved season as he plays out the final year of his contract. Noah struggled last season and with Pau Gasol playing well alongside Taj Gibson and Nikola Mirotic, the center could find himself expendable under the new coaching staff.
If people are panicked about Rose and his struggles to start the season, the point guard is not listening. After missing the preseason with an injury, Rose is getting back into the groove of the year and he made it clear that he is not thinking about his issues as struggles right now.
"I'm not worried about my offense. It's all about conditioning, running, getting my body in shape, getting used to moving around. All the other stuff like offensive looks and all that, that's going to come," Rose said, via ESPN.com.
One person not happy with the team is Butler who is leading in scoring after inking a nice free agency contract extension. Butler made it clear the Bulls need to step up and begin to play better or they will be buried in the Eastern Conference. If they do not improve, Windhorst's comments could become true.
