Derrick Rose was named the NBA Basketball Rookie of the Year in May 2009 for his first season as a Chicago Bull. Basketball beginners would do well to study the excellent opening season for Rose in which he was able to use his role as point guard to bring the Chicago Bulls some unlikely success.
Working at a company that produces electronic basketball scoreboards, Electro-Mech employees, most of us fans (and some fanatics) understand the importance of sports reporting. That’s why we make sure follow all the latest basketball news, trends, scandals and, of course, the games. But we also make sure to pay attention to the greats that may not always get the spotlight, as this article covers. It is our passion and pleasure to share our knowledge and expertise with you on our favorite sports. Just read on and find out for yourself!
Rose played his high school ball at Simeon Career Academy in Chicago and he had an immediate impact when he was allowed to play on the varsity team in his sophomore year. That year he lead his Wolverines to a 30-5 record while averaging nearly 20 points and over 8 assists per game. Scouts continued to fill the bleachers during his junior and senior years when he lead them to consecutive victories in the State Championships. During the finals in his junior year, he made the deciding play, when he stole the ball and hit the game winning shot with less than two seconds in the game. He came out of high school as the top basketball prospect in the country. In his one season in college, he chose Memphis and lead the team to the NCAA Finals where his 17 points were not enough to overcome Kansas, who won in a rare Finals overtime.
The NBA Rookie of the Year honor was almost a foregone conclusion after the midpoint of the season. Not only was Derrick Rose the number one pick of the Bulls in the summer NBA draft but he became the starter for the team, supplanting longtime veteran starter Kirk Hinrich. Hinrich started just four games before Rose started the next 80 and started all 7 games in the playoffs. He became an established franchise player for the Bulls in just his first season, evoking memories of Michael Jordan for many. But unlike Jordan who first made his name on the scoreboard, Rose lead his team with assists at 6.3 per game. Assists are probably the best measurement for a point guard as the player must learn his teammates strengths and the timing of the offense while also reading the defense to avoid turning the ball over. However, Rose was also a standout on the offensive end, averaging 16.9 points per game. This was the second highest for all rookies in the league. Rose walked away with the NBA Rookie of the Year honors, taking 574 points and 111 first place votes out of a possible 124.
The WNBA Rookie of the Year was also the number one pick in her league: Candace Parker of the Los Angeles Sparks. She also set the league on fire, leading the team to a great record with an average of 15 points per game. She was one of the few players in any sport to ever win both Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year in the same season. The Sparks were defeated in the conference finals in 2008. Parker has not played in the 2009 season due to the recent birth of her first child.