NBA Season Preview: Paul George vs Derrick Rose
I figured for each team battle, I am previewing, I needed to find that player battle to highlight, and this one was easy. Two best players on each team trying to carry their respective teams to the Central Division title. You have Derrick Rose, hopefully, coming back for a full regular season. At least Bull fans are hoping for that. They had enough of the day to day thing that Rose kept presenting last season. It would have been better for the Bulls just to come out and say Rose is done at some point, and move along. But that thing was always around, and I do think it hurts that team in a way if you have to keep talking about it. Then you had Derrick Rose’s brother come out at some point and say whatever he said, it was just bad all around. Time to see what this season will bring for Derrick Rose, and how much he is like his former self. You do have to wonder how he’ll perform if there were those ideas that mentally he wasn’t ready to go.
Paul George on the other hand is fully ready to go, and I believe he’s been working hard this off season to be an even better player. Not that George’s game had too many flaws anyway. The glaring issue I would see is the passing game, and even then Paul George was able to get a couple of triple doubles that included assists last season. So if he can step up and make those better passes, I really see George becoming that superstar player the fans in Indy have always wanted. That’s why these two guys are going to be those players that you want to watch. I think George gets the call to defend Rose in the season, which is another highlight to watch.
If George can continue to defend a team’s best player, and excel at it, there’s no reason to believe he won’t be more into that Defensive Player of the Year award. Just another notch in the belt for what’s becoming a great career for George. Both guys in this matchup really carry their respective teams in so many ways. Scoring, leadership, defensive presence, finishing at the rim, which might be one of those things that Derrick Rose doesn’t get enough credit for. You want to talk about a guy that can get his body to the rim in any way he wants, and that’s Derrick Rose. Paul George is right up there as well. Both guys can beat other guys off the dribble and make that highlight for their team.
As far as who gets the better in this matchup, I am going to say I am on the fence as I don’t know what Rose will bring to the table. My easy answer would be Paul George as I know what he can bring, and the faith I have that he’s going to be even better this coming season. But I won’t discredit Derrick Rose that much as I believe he’ll be ready to go for the Bulls, and we know what he brings to the table. It will fun to watch these guys go at each other for a bit.