March 21--At a career 30.4 percent, Derrick Rose isn't a good 3-point shooter. But he has been one since the All-Star break, knocking down 12 of 23 for 52.2 percent.
His 2.1 attempts per game in his 11 appearances since the break jibe nicely with his season average of 2.2 per game. This is down considerably from the career-high 5.3 attempts per game last season, when he shot 28 percent.
"People saying I shot too many jump shots, (that talk) went away now," Rose said.
Coach Fred Hoiberg revealed an intriguing tidbit when asked about Rose's shot selection. Hoiberg has talked all season about emphasizing the point with Rose.
But Hoiberg relayed how specific he has been regarding film review on this and other points with Rose.
"I watched the defensive edit with him" 38 minutes before the last game, Hoiberg said. "I tried to do it at 65 and 55 and 45 (minutes) and he kept forgetting. So I finally had to drag him into my office just to hit him on key points going into games.
"His rhythm has been good on his 3-pointers. He's not taking the dribble-in 3s or the pause-and-shoot 3s. He's stepping in with momentum and knocking them down."
Surprise starter: Rookie Cristiano Felicio drew his first NBA start Saturday night to matchup against Jazz center Rudy Gobert.
"We wanted to get him out there versus that size," Hoiberg said. "Gobert really hurt us with his rolls to the rim last game. Cris did a good job giving cushion and not allowing the roller to get behind him."
Indeed, Felicio delivered four points, two rebounds and solid defense in limited minutes.
"I'm just trying to stay ready and make the most of my opportunity," Felicio said. "I'm getting more comfortable now. My teammates are helping me. I'm trying to take open shots and make the right play."
Pick your poison: The Bulls face a lose-lose situation Monday. They need to win to maintain their playoff push. But doing so hangs another loss on the Kings, who owe the Bulls a first-round pick this year or next, provided it falls outside top-10 protection.
The Kings own the seventh-worst record, so they're on pace not to concede the pick to the Bulls this June.
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