John Lucas III did his best Derrick Rose impression in his first career NBA start. With the reigning MVP sitting out due to a toe injury, and backup PG C.J. Watson still out with an elbow injury, the inexperienced Lucas was called upon to lead one of the best teams in the East against one of the worst. Lucas scored 25 points, dished out 8 assists, and even pulled down 8 rebounds, all career highs.
With the Bulls playing their third game in three nights, it made sense for Rose to sit out. Otherwise, I’d suspect he’d try to play, as he usually does. His style of play means he gets banged up a lot, usually in the form of a rolled/sprained ankle, but he rarely misses a game. That was one thing I’m watching for this year, given the breakneck pace of the season. As much as I hate watching a game without Rose, I’m glad he sat out. The Bulls need to keep their players healthy to have any chance in the playoffs.
Coming into the game, I was interested to see Lucas in extended playing time. He’s looked good in limited play (but less limited than usual due to Watson’s injury); my only knock on him so far is that he’s taken too many bad shots. He certainly doesn’t lack the confidence,but I’ve seen him hit a couple shots early and then start taking a lot of unnecessary, heat-check type shots. This game didn’t do much to alleviate those concerns — Lucas took 28 shots, making 11, including just 1-of-7 from downtown. He did look a little bit like Derrick Rose out there, with some nice driving layups, and while Rose put up similar stats early in his career, Lucas is no Derrick Rose. He needs to temper his expectations a bit, and he’ll be a very useful player.
Luol Deng pulled down a season-high 15 rebounds, his second consecutive game in double figures. Omer Asik had season-highs with 14 rebounds and 5 blocked shots, and tied his season-high with 8 points. The Bulls had 62 rebounds as a team, to Washington’s 46.
Perhaps the most impressive stat from the game is that the Bulls have held opponents to 67.5 points in 4 home games, while scoring 87.5 themselves. I would like to see them have the same defensive intensity on the road, where they’re giving up 95 points a game.