Derrick Rose: 'Once I catch that rhythm, it's going to be scary'

Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose, the broken, battered, and sprained former superstar, has been a shell of his former self this season.

Rose is averaging 13.3 points per game while shooting 34.3 percent from the field and 18.8 percent from deep. To put those numbers into context, Rose has been less efficient than the much-maligned Kobe Bryant.

The former 2011 MVP, however, isn't giving up hope. Instead, he's doubling down on the bravado.

As Rose notes, he's been hampered by injuries this season. He's still wearing a mask on account of a broken orbital bone (and was seeing double for quite some time), and he's also missed time with a sprained ankle. Things are bound to improve once he gets healthy.

But of course, getting healthy has been a tall order for Rose. He's failed to play even two-thirds of a season since 2011 as he's battled knee injuries.

The trouble for Rose might simply be that the injuries are too much to overcome. He's still playing the same way - slashing to the hoop, blowing by defenders, using his quickness to his advantage - but he simply can't make shots - from anywhere.

Rose ranks in the top-10 in drives per game (per SportVU) but he's shooting just 37.2 percent on his drives - by far the lowest average of anyone in the top-15.

His struggles worsen when he turns to the jumpshot. Rose is shooting an abysmal 25 percent on catch-and-shoot jumpers, and his average of 34.8 percent on pullups are hardly any better, which makes for an extremely unsightly shooting chart.

(Source: NBA Stats)

Whatever the prognosis, the bottom line is that Rose needs to find a way to improve. The Bulls are loaded in talent and no longer need Rose to return to MVP form, but his current level of play is becoming untenable. The team is worse on both ends of the floor when Rose plays.

The Bulls don't need scary. They just need competent.