On Wednesday night, former MVP Kobe Bryant played his final game in Philadelphia, and played awful. After thirteen 1st quarter points, Bryant ended up with 20 on 7-26 shooting, including 4-17 on 3-pointers. On Thursday night, former MVP Derrick Rose went 3-17 from the field, leaving him at 16%. So far this season, Bryant has dominated headlines, not only for his awful shooting performances, but also due to his impending retirement. Were it not for the once-in-a-generation talent's struggles, Rose's shooting woes would be national news. As it is, Rose's shooting struggles are being overlooked while Kobe stands in the spotlight.
Rose was once a very efficient shooter for the Bulls. In his second season, he shot 48.9% from the field, and during his 2010-11 MVP season he shot 44.5% and led the Bulls to a 62-20 record. This season, he sits at 35.7%. That drop off is fueled by him missing shots close to the rim and putting up shots inside that are easily blocked by taller defenders. He has done other things very well, including moving without the ball and playing good defense. But his points and assists are both very low considering his averages. Besides last season, he has never averaged fewer assists, and has never averaged fewer points.
Rose is currently rated 117th out of 120 qualified shooters in shooting percentage. In dead-last, 120 out of 120, is Bryant. At 30.1%, Bryant is shooting at a historically bad rate. He deserves the headlines. He is a legend, and his final season is newsworthy, but Rose's struggles should be getting more national attention.
The difference between Rose and Bryant is that there is legitimate reason to believe Rose can regroup and improve. Bryant is putting up awful shots, and injuries and age seem to have caught up with the 37-year old. Rose, on the other hand, is rusty after missing a lot of time the past two seasons and is still struggling with his vision. Once that corrects and he feels more comfortable on the floor, it's fairly certain his shooting percentage and offensive play will improve.
Bryant is a legend, but Rose's struggles should not be completely avoided just because Bryant won't be here next season. Rose needs to improve his shooting however necessary, and until then the team will struggle offensively.
