Derrick Rose‘s unmatched athleticism and explosive drives back in the day guaranteed him to become the next dynamic point guard for the Chicago Bulls and the NBA. The Chicago native looked like the next big thing for the franchise and the city of Chicago since Michael Jordan. Unfortunately, Rose’s career was marred by injuries, the most notable one being an ACL tear in the 2012 playoffs.
Upon his return from the injury, Rose only seemed like a shadow of his previous self. However, the league hasn’t forgotten how the 6’3 guard had mesmerized the leagues with his skills and talent. In a recent appearance on the Club 250 podcast, Celtics legend Rajon Rondo talked about the impression Rose would leave on the Celtics when the Bulls faced them in a 2009 first-round playoffs series. Speaking highly of the former Bulls guard, Rondo said,
“One of the favorite players I have played against. He didn’t talk sh*t. He just let his game do the talking. And, he was a tough motherf**ker to guard.”
Rondo also added how that playoff series was the most intense one he had ever played. That series featured Derrick Rose breaking the playoff debut record with 36 points in Game 1, thus setting the tone for an incredibly epic seven-game series. The Celtics legend admitted that it took almost all five of the Celtics player on the floor to stop Derrick Rose from raining buckets.
The series also set NBA playoff records for the most overtime games (4) and periods (7) played. Nevertheless, Celtics went on to prevail in seven games, winning the decisive Game 7 by a one-point margin of 128-127 scoreline. Derrick Rose averaged 19.7 points on 47.5% shooting, 6.3 assists, and 4.9 rebounds in that series, showing a glimpse of his unparalleled and enthralling skill sets that could have elevated the Bulls to new heights.
Comparing Rajon Rondo and Derrick Rose’s careers
Rajon Rondo and Derrick Rose are both great point guards, who have elevated their respective teams to new heights. Their skillsets and talents added a dynamic depth to their teams, allowing them to thrive on teams, especially during postseason. The two faced each other in 31 games in the league, which includes 24 in the regular season and 7 in the playoffs.
As per Land of Basketball, Derrick Rose has won 18 out of these 34 matchups, which includes 15 wins in the regular season and 3 in the playoffs. On the other hand, Rondo has won only 13 of these matchups, winning 9 regular season games against Rose but seemingly edging out the Bulls guard in playoffs with 4 wins.
In terms of their averages against each other, Derrick Rose earns the upper hand in terms of points and blocks per game. Rose has averaged 20.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 0.5 steals, and 0.5 blocks against Rondo in their 34 matchups. However, though Rondo finds himself in the deficit with an average of 11.4 points and 0.2 blocks, he leads against Rose with his 5.7 rebounds, 9.5 assists, 1.8 steals per game.
