Jon Greenberg, ESPN Staff Writer 10y

Paxson happy with Rose's 'explosiveness'

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Bulls are keeping tabs on Derrick Rose's play in the FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain, but they're not admitting to counting his missed shots.

That's tough to do when you're lighting candles and saying multidenominational prayers for his good health.

Coming off the bench for the first time ever, Rose is averaging 5.4 points in 17.3 minutes a game, shooting 27.3 percent (15-for-55) and has made just 1-of-17 3-point tries through eight games. Most important is that after almost two years away from the game with knee injuries, Rose has adapted to the condensed schedule of the tournament with no setbacks. Rose looks good, even if his shot is off.

"I know that everyone is paying attention to his numbers," Bulls vice president for basketball operations John Paxson said Friday at the opening of the team's new practice facility. "I'm certainly not. I've liked the way he's moved on the floor, his explosiveness. You see at times where he just turns on the jets and explodes. Those are the things I focus on.

"If you remember last year when he played those 10 games, he struggled, there was rust on him. There's going to be. He hasn't played much in two years. But he looks good; his movement is good and his athleticism's good."

Bulls general manager Gar Forman said the team is "very encouraged" by what they've seen from Rose.

"The biggest thing for us is to see him make Derrick Rose-type plays again, and he's showed us that," Forman said.

The United States team takes on the France-Serbia winner Sunday in the final. So there won't be a showdown between Rose and his new teammate, Pau Gasol.

Gasol's highly regarded Spain team lost to France in an upset, but he finished the tournament as the fourth-leading scorer, averaging 20 points per game. Gasol shot 63.5 percent from the field and 27.3 percent on 3-pointers.

Paxson and Forman described Gasol's World Cup performance as "great."

"He looks healthy, and he's moving well," Forman said.

The Bulls will start practicing at the end of September. Their first preseason game is Oct. 6.

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