The Bulls have lost six of their last eight games, and Derrick Rose is not happy about it. So after Chicago lost to the Cavaliers 108-94 last night to drop to 27-16 on the season, Rose lit into the Bulls and said that "the whole team" needs to start playing better if they want to start winning again.
"Everybody has to be on the same page," he said. "Until then, we're going to continue to get our ass kicked."
Specifically, Rose said that the Bulls—who have been playing without both Joakim Noah and Mike Dunleavy due to injuries—have to start playing with more intensity on the defensive side of the ball. And he was so frustrated with the way that Chicago played against Cleveland that he even let an expletive slip during his breakdown of the Bulls' recent struggles.
"I think communication is huge," he said. "We're quiet when we're out there, and it's leading to them getting easy baskets. We got to give a better effort. It seems like we're not even competing, and it's fucking irritating."
The good news is that, even though the Bulls are enduring a tough stretch right now, they're still the fourth-best team in the Eastern Conference at the moment and should improve by leaps and bounds, especially on defense, once Noah returns. But it's nice to hear Rose getting so fired up about his team, and his words should light a fire under all of his teammates in the coming days.
The Bulls will be back in action on Thursday against the Spurs.
[via ESPN Chicago]
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