REPORTING FROM ...
DERRICK ROSE'S AUDITION WITH THE BULLS

Scott Powers

Derrick in Chicago: hounded.

DEERFIELD, Ill. -- If Derrick Rose had his way, his next trip to Miami would be one leaving from O'Hare with Andres Nocioni sitting nearby next season. As in, it would be a road trip, as a member of the Bulls.

Nothing against Miami. Under any other scenario, he'd enjoy Miami's sun and running alongside fellow Chi-town guard Dwyane Wade. That might be the East's all-star backcourt in the future anyway.

But that's not how the lottery balls popped. The Chicago Bulls won the draft, and Rose is from Chicago. There's really nothing else to it.

"Basically, Chicago's Chicago," Derrick's older brother Reggie Rose told me on Thursday.

Standing outdoors in a white polo shirt after working out for the Bulls at the Berto Center on Thursday morning, Rose was his typical quiet self while surrounded by a mass of media. But when it came to which team hat he would prefer to put on after David Stern called his name, his shyness momentarily disappeared.

At first, it didn't really matter to him, he said. "Now, I'm just frantic. I can't wait for them to call my name. I don't care which team, but…the Bulls. I hope they call my name. I hope I become a Chicago Bull."

Rose wants that so bad he doesn't even have a workout set up with the Heat as of right now.

"If not, too bad," Rose said.

Reggie, who has been Derrick's mouthpiece for most of his career—which is basically high school and AAU with a brief trip through Memphis—said, "It's possible. I love Chicago; this could be the last stop, I hope."

If his pro career at all mimics the HS career the locals know of, many locally would agree. Not only is Rose from Chicago, he also doesn't know much about losing here. Between playing in Chicago's Public League for three varsity seasons for Simeon—which included two state championships—and then one season at Memphis where he took the Tigers to the national championship game, Rose has lost a total of 13 games in the past four years.

Nobdoy here needs reminding: the Bulls lost 49 last season.

"Coach Cal (Calipari) made a joke about Derrick because I think within the past two to three years the kid hasn't lost more than five games," Reggie said. "Cal was like, 'Oh my god, Derrick goes to the League and when he loses 10 games he might lock himself in a room.'"

A few of Rose's high-flying, assist-filled performances while at Simeon came at the United Center. In his last game there, as part of 25-point, 8-assist, 7-rebound and 3-steal night, he took off from a few feet out, had an opponent try to match him in the air, absorbed the blow and put down a dunk that became legendary before he landed. Rose's feet hit the ground, he walked to the court's corner, shook his body in slow motion and posed. The UC crowd went crazy.

"It's a big stage," Rose said about Chicago. "I love big stages and how every NBA game is a big stage. The United Center, there's something about that court that I would love to play on it. Hopefully, that dream comes finally true."

He's imagined himself playing for no other team since he discovered the Bulls had the first pick.

"Just for them to win, I thought of LeBron James," Rose said. "I thought he was luckiest person in the world to play for his home city. Now I have that chance. I'm just hoping that they pick me."

Chicago's media may not be feeling the same, at least when it comes to landing a go-to guy for quotes. Rose isn't Michael Beasley when it comes to interviewing. Beasley was an affable comedian who charmed the local media when he spoke to the press on Tuesday. Rose, as he has throughout his career, had little to say.

His one comment about his No. 1 draft-pick competitor was noteworthy, though.

"He is the best player," Rose said. "He is hands down."

Rose then laughed, as though he and Beasley had agreed to a contest in complimenting eachother. Asked why the Bulls should pick him, Rose at least had an answer.

"I think I could control the team a little more," Rose said. "I think I'm a leader. I think I would help the players and everyone else to have that attitude."

It's up to the Bulls now.

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