Nov. 18--LOS ANGELES -- On Dec. 30, 2011, Derrick Rose arrived in this city where he makes his offseason home as the league's reigning most valuable player and dropped 29 points and 16 assists on Chris Paul and the Clippers in a 13-point road victory.
The debate then centered on where Rose ranked among the NBA's best players.
Two knee surgeries and two lost seasons later, the debate is more modest, especially with Rose missing a second straight game in Monday's late tipoff with his strained left hamstring. Though the Bulls call Rose day to day and he participated in portions of the morning shootaround, sitting him all week has been discussed.
In part, this is why the debate is now: Is Rose even the game's best point guard?
"You could make a case that (Paul's) the best," coach Tom Thibodeau said.
The annual preseason general managers survey gave the nod to Paul with 71.4 percent of the vote. The Thunder's Russell Westbrook finished second and the Spurs' Tony Parker third, with Rose joining the Warriors' Stephen Curry and the Trail Blazers' Damian Lillard in the "also receiving votes" category.
How times have changed.
Paul entered averaging 18 points and 10.1 assists, and Clippers coach Doc Rivers thinks he can get even more aggressive.
"He's such a point guard, it's hard for him to do it," Rivers said. "But when he does it, I think it makes us a very dangerous team."
The frustrating part for Rose and the Bulls is that when he has played -- and Monday already marked the sixth of 11 games he has missed -- Rose's physical gifts look intact. The speed has been there. The burst has flashed. The aggressive attacking of the rim has opened opportunities for others.
But for every green light, a red has followed, first with sprained ankles and now the hamstring.
"Every game I felt like I had control of myself and the game as far as playing the way I wanted to play," Rose said. "Missing shots is part of it. But I felt whenever I was out there, it wasn't the rust where I look terrible. I was just missing shots.
"If anything, it helped my confidence knowing that (I could) come back and play with these great athletes that are on this level."
This is why Rose said his latest setback hasn't left him down. After all, this is a player well-versed in overcoming adversity.
"Just having faith and knowing at the end, this is a little process I'm going through right now," Rose said. "It won't matter. I think we're going to have a big year. I think I'm going to have a big year."
It will, however, be a season ruled by conservatism. Management proved that by placing him on minutes restrictions from the first exhibition onward. And Rose has followed suit, sitting four of five games with the ankle injuries and remaining unfazed by national criticism over his comments about his post-playing career informing his decision-making process.
"Especially when you have knee problems or knee injuries, hamstrings are huge in the process of coming back," he said. "They control everything in terms of accelerating. You need them a lot, especially the way that I play.
"There's no need for anyone to play through injuries with the talent we have on this team. Just too bad it's me. Try to get back out there as quick as possible but wait until I'm 100 percent."
kcjohnson@tribpub.com
Twitter @kcjhoop
