Rose says Durant ‘playing great’
Derrick Rose admitted he rarely watches NBA games on television.
But he had an answer ready when asked Friday for the next player to be named MVP. By missing 19 games this season, Rose seems to have no chance of repeating.
“KD (Kevin Durant) is playing great, just hearing about what he’s doing and how he’s been playing,” Rose said. “The numbers speak for themselves. He’s been playing great basketball.”
Most observers see the MVP race as a duel between Durant (27.7 points, 8.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists) and Miami’s LeBron James (26.5 points, 8.3 rebounds, 6.5 assists).
Team success is pretty even and both players have a strong supporting cast. James is producing career-highs in rebounds and field-goal percentage (.533).
Rose likely to miss OKC:
The Bulls are due to play Kevin Durant in Oklahoma City on Sunday afternoon. It’s looking doubtful that Derrick Rose will be back from a groin strain by then. He missed his ninth straight game Friday.
“I’ve been able to run, but it’s not the same,” Rose said. “My speed is my whole entire game. I haven’t learned to play without my speed. I’m not old yet. I haven’t learned that part of the game yet.”
Before the Bulls played the Pistons at the United Center, Rose ran through some running and stretching drills at half speed.
“For me to play (against the Thunder), it would be great,” he said. “If not, I know if we make it far and they make it far, we have a chance to play them (in the Finals).”
Rose works out during the summers with Thunder guard Russell Westbrook and played with both Durant and Westbrook at the FIBA World Championships in 2010.
Frank fills in:
Detroit coach Lawrence Frank was head coach of the Nets for seven years. But he had a tough assignment last season, replacing Tom Thibodeau as lead assistant on the Boston Celtics’ bench.
“The thing is, it was easy in a sense, because he already laid the foundation,” Frank said before Friday’s game. “From a philosophical standpoint, we see the game very similarly. The key is, can you continue to try to raise the level as opposed to just being the same?”
Thibodeau went to the Finals twice during three years in Boston, so it’s tough to say Frank raised the level of anything. He did claim that during his year with the Celtics, no one ever used the phrase, “That’s not how Thibs would have done it.”
“No. In fact, I think it just really worked well, just because of the relationship that him and I have, and the relationship Doc (Rivers) has,” Frank said. “It made it a seamless transition.”
Bull horns:
The Pistons on Friday played without former Bulls guard Ben Gordon (groin) and leading scorer Rodney Stuckey (hamstring). Gordon said he expects to be back in a few days. ... The Bulls’ streak of 85 games without losing two in a row will be the second longest in NBA history by Sunday, according to Stats, LLC. Utah set the record of 95 games from 1997-99.