Greenwing is right though. I really did think he was crazy about rose getting his 3s up and i really thought the bulls would not be able to shoot from the outside. he was right. But i still don't know how rose did it, i always thought his shooting stroke (this was something observed by announcers and broadcasters) inhibited his ability to shoot from down town. did his shooting stroke change or was it fine all along?
It changed. His shot used to fall short an awful lot because the arc on his shot was pretty low. Deng had the same problem for most of his career. Whoever worked with them over the summer taught both guys to shoot higher since that adds more spin to the ball and results in a higher percentage shot. Rose's shot is still a bit robotic in that he has a very definite form in how he shoots it and doesn't usually adjust it midair. But lately he's been improving in that category, as well.
I based my prediction from what I knew of his character. Rose has a great work ethic, he's a huge competitor and he's the type of guy who won't quit until he's perfect at what he does. That kind of perfectionist attitude led me to believe that give his freakish athleticism and temperament, if he really wanted to become a good 3-point shooter, he could certainly do so. I had faith in him not as a Bulls fans but as a fan of basketball who had a gut intuition of what Rose could become.
Deng's issue has always been shot location more than shot consistency. He was always a consistent long-range jump-shooter. All he had to do half the time was take one step back and his long deuce's would become 3's. He still falls into that trap but not nearly as much as he used to. And the results are paying off big time.
Call me crazy but I'd rather have Luol Deng on this Bulls roster as currently constructed than Carmelo Anthony. Deng plays better defense, rebounds just as well if not better, is a willing role player, is not a volume shooter and his a better shooter from downtown than Melo. I think replacing Deng with Melo hurts you defensively and makes one of Rose or Melo less effective because they both demand the ball. Chicago needs an upgrade at the 2-guard and they'll be set. Just one more guy who can create his own shot to draw attention away from Rose, Boozer, Deng and Noah and then their offense will truly flourish. They have all the right pieces in place except for that one guy at the 2. It'll be interesting to see if Forman can acquire that guy without crippling another area on the roster.
