NBA on ESPN/ABC Analyst Jalen Rose is very high on the Chicago Bulls this year. You’ll recall his playing days in Chicago (2001-03, then a brief return in 04). If Rose is right, then I’m sure The Sports Bank’s base (have to “appeal to the base,” using a political phrase as Election Day nears) will be very happy.
Jalen was on conference call with Doug Collins (yes, more past Chicago Bulls, you can hear that podcast here) as ESPN’s NBA Analysts took questions from the national media to preview the season.
The podcast is below. And here are some of the best Jalen Rose soundbites transcribed (ESPN Media Zone)
“You know what you’re going to get from Kevin Love. You can book his 20 plus and 10 plus. Tristan Thompson, he was close to a double-double last year. Is he going to be consistent? Can he stay out of foul trouble? How many games are you going to get from Varejao? I’m not really a big believer in Haywood at this point of his career playing quality playoff minutes.”
“If I had to go interior and give a team the edge, it would be the Bulls, and that’s why at this point of the season, if I had to pick who I felt like was going to come out of the East, it would be Chicago for those reasons.”
On Derrick Rose:
“I like a guy that can get 30 points in 24 minutes against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Coach Collins broke down a play on our Countdown show where it was 0-0 and Derrick Rose got a long outlet, dribbled up the left side, went over a high pick and roll, drove right to the basket and laid it up. So what that showed me is that that’s another thing that’s going to make that rivalry great. Kyrie can boogie with the ball. I joked that he’s like, I guess, Turbo and Breakin’ outside of the store dancing with a broom. He can really make it happen, but he has to learn as well as Love and even Waiters to compete defensively.”
“Chicago has a toughness about them. They have a defensive identity, and they have the coach in the league with the highest win percentage that has never won a championship in Tom Thibodeau. They have those pieces in place, and I think they could be ready to take that leap.”
“If he {Derrick Rose} can play at an all NBA level, I feel like they should win the Eastern Conference.”
Here’s the Jalen Rose podcast:
Paul M. Banks owns, operates and very often writes The Sports Bank.net ,which is partners with Fox Sports. Read his features stories in the Chicago Tribune RedEye edition. Listen to him on 1620 The Zone. Follow him on Twitter (@paulmbanks). His work has been featured in hundreds of media outlets including The Washington Post and ESPN 2