Bulls still formidible without Derrick Rose, according to Doc Rivers

Celtics head coach Doc Rivers thinks that the Bulls are playing well so far in the young 2012-13 NBA season without Derrick Rose in large part due to the work of Chicago head coach Tom Thibodeau. Rivers talked about Rose's absence on Monday, before his Celtics beat the Bulls 101-95 at the United Center:

"Injuries are bad, obviously, but when you have a training camp without the guy you can make a team. I think injuries are far tougher when you have them in the middle of the season and then you've been working a guy out."

Rivers said that Thibodeau's team plays "great D" and that "they have great ball control...they're going to exhaust the clock until they get the exact shot that they want." He compared losing Rose to Boston losing Rajon Rondo and said that the difference in having a "great point guard" like Rose or Rondo is that "they can create their own offense in transition, off the end of sets."

Rivers also complimented one of the players taking some of Derrick Rose's minutes, Nate Robinson, saying that Robinson has "matured" and "has better focus" than when he played for the Celtics.