Rose to Make Summer League Debut Today

Bulls brass will get their first look at the number one overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft in a Bulls uniform when Derrick Rose suits up in his first summer league game today.  The game happens to be against the Miami Heat, who held the second selection in the draft and used it to take Kansas State forward Michael Beasley.  Rose will be given the keys to the summer league team, just as he’s expected to be given the keys to the full squad when the regular season begins.

I’d expect Rose to impress in the summer league.  The league’s talent is better than that of the collegiate ranks, but is comparable to the D-league.  Rose’s quickness and athleticism should allow him to abuse just about anyone who’s assigned to guarding him.  Today, he’ll surely get some head-to-head time against Mario Chalmers, the same player that dashed his national title hopes in the NCAA championship game in April.  The summer league isn’t the best environment to completely evaluate a player, but it is an opportunity to assess the player.  Beasley is more likely to outshine Rose from a statistical standpoint, but Rose is all about winning and usually gets the job done.

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