Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose isn't happy with how his team has played lately. The former MVP expressed frustration after Monday's loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, saying the players on his team aren't on the same page.
The Bulls have lost six of their last eight games, including two straight. Their latest loss came Monday at Cleveland, 108-94, and it prompted Rose to speak out about his growing frustration as his team dropped to a 27-16 record.
"Everybody has to be on the same page," Rose said, via ESPN. "Until then, we're going to continue to get our ass kicked. ... I think communication is huge. 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 f---ing irritating."
Rose didn't point any fingers, adding: "It's just the whole team."
Chicago is still dealing with injuries, most notably to starters Joakim Noah and Mike Dunleavy. The Bulls also have new pieces, such as Pau Gasol and Nikola Mirotic, who're still learning what their role on the team will be. ESPN reported the issue, however, isn't injuries or chemistry - it's the team's lack of intensity on the court.
"There's no excuses. My biggest thing is competing," Rose said. "Playing this game for so long, when you don't have that edge, we're going to keep getting our ass whupped."
Coach Tom Thibodeau also seemed to agree with Rose, indicating his players weren't putting forth their best effort.
"We got to decide when enough's enough," said coach Tom Thibodeau. "The way we're playing is not acceptable, so we have to change it. ... We're not playing well in any aspect of the game, so we're not giving ourselves a chance to win. Usually if you're playing great defense and you're rebounding the ball and keeping your turnovers down, you're going to be in a position to win no matter who you're playing against, no matter where you're playing. No matter who's playing.
"But if you don't do those three things, then you're not going to be in a position to win. We've been able to overcome injuries because we've been able to do that. Right now we're not a multiple-effort team, we're not concentrating, we're not doing our job."
Chicago's next chance to turn things around is on Thursday against the San Antonio Spurs.
