The Bulls defeated the Wizards 103-96 at the United Center last night, but the most notable event in that game — which wasn’t as close as the score; Washington cut an 18-point deficit down by draining several threes late in the fourth quarter — was the first of many meetings between young guards Derrick Rose and John Wall.
Wall, the No. 1 pick in last June’s draft out of Kentucky, is 20 years old, the same age as Rose was when he was drafted by the Bulls with that same top choice in 2008. And Rose’s experience clearly showed last night when he made Wall look silly with some cute moves and a fancy shot over him.
Rose finished last night’s game with 24 points, eight assists and four rebounds in his 36 minutes of playing time. Wall countered with 16 points, six assists and two rebounds and played about 31 minutes.
There’s no question that John Wall is going to be a star in the NBA and he and Rose could dominate All-Star teams for the next decade. Wall will need a better “supporting cast”, as the NBA all-star mantra goes — his team is off to a 2-6 start.
Meanwhile, the Bulls are now 5-3 in the early going — 5-1 at home — and look like they’re meshing well. And that’s without the injured Carlos Boozer, who may be back in about three weeks. The Bulls will be a force to contend with in the Eastern Conference this year.