Kevin Durant Impressed By Derrick Rose’s Dominance

Not to be confused with IT guy. Rose won’t be fixing any computers for you. Rather, he has that charismatic quality about him, that go-get it attitude not everyone possesses. Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder is sure of it.

Rose has gotten off to a fast start for the Chicago Bulls and as the preseason winds down, it’s become clear he hasn’t lost a step. He’s running, attacking, scoring, dishing and most importantly, hitting the floor only to pop right back up.

Having just returned from rehabbing a torn ACL, his aggression factor was of major concern. Why didn’t he play last season? Did he not care enough? Was he too scared? Simply incapable?

We harped on all those questions. Just admit it. We were slightly worried. Videos of Rose dunking in warmups weren’t enough to squelch are greatest fears, the ones that suggested he would return a fraction of the player he was. But where those pregame rim attacks failed us, Rose’s preseason has not. He’s back, and while I’ll stop short of saying better than ever, it is possible that he’s somehow better.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edPM-McUkn4

Durant isn’t at all shocked by how much success Rose has had out of the gate. The two worked out together over the summer and according to ESPN Chicago’s Nick Friedell, Durant has Rose pegged as one of those players who will never be denied:

There’s just certain players that have that ‘it.’ And he’s one of them. A guy that is not going to be denied no matter what injury, bad games, whatever, he’s just going to always bring it. So I knew [his comeback] would be like this.

…

You see him from preseason, he hasn’t lost a step. Great players, they put in overtime, and I think that’s what he’s done. This past year with him being hurt, he put in extra work, and I know just working out with him this summer, he strives for perfection, so you got to love a player like that.

Indeed, Rose has looked good. Against Durant’s Thunder, he tallied 26 points and six assists in 35 minutes. His 6-of-15 showing from the floor wasn’t anything to write home about, but his 4-of-8 shooting from downtown certainly was.

It’s almost like nothing’s changed. Rose may have expanded his game a little bit, and the Bulls aren’t about to play him 48 minutes a night, every night (I hope), but things are the same. Rose is back to being Rose. The Bulls have their star. The NBA has a top-10 (top 5?) dignitary back on the floor.

“The best thing about him is he’s a team-first guy,” Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said, via Friedell. “He’s committed to playing for the team, and that’s special.”

That, and he’s back. Finally back. And finally, this seems right; Rose seems right.