| |
|
NBA PLAYOFFS - Bulls lean on C.J. Watson to take over at point
By Fakhouri Amjid PhilBoxing.com Wed, 02 May 2012
CHICAGO -- Life without Derrick Rose charges on for the Chicago Bulls Tuesday night when they host the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 2 of their best-of-7 opening round series at the United Center.
The Bulls captured Game 1, 103-88, Saturday night and took a 1-0 lead. But it turned out to be the franchise's "saddest win ever" as Rose, the reigning MVP tore his ACL in the final 1:10 of play. After surgery and rehabilitation, he will be out for six to nine months.
Beneath the grim news, however, hope rises in the form of C.J. Watson, the dependable back-up point guard who has steered the Bulls' ship in this injury-ravaged season. In the 27 games that Rose has missed due to an assortment of ailments, the Bulls won 18 and lost just 9.
Oh yes, these are the playoffs. The stakes are higher, the competition stiffer. But Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau has complete faith on the 6-foot-2, 175-pound Watson.
"He's an excellent pick-and-roll player," Thibodeau told the Chicago Tribune. "He can push the ball in transition. He's a terrific 3-point shooter. He has good quickness. And he knows how to run the team. He understands his teammates' strengths and weaknesses. He has played with the starters and bench guys. He has a really good feel for that."
Bulls general manager Gar Forman mirrors Thibodeau's confidence on Watson.
"We had followed him really for a couple of years before he came. We think he's got the ability to run the team, the ability to play with pace, the ability to make shots. He was our kind of guy. We thought he would fit in with our guys," Forman said.
A four-year pro out of the University of Tennessee, Watson has played in a total of 305 NBA regular season games averaging 7.8 points, 2.6 assists and 1.9 rebounds per. Before signing a two-year deal with the Bulls in the summer of 2010, Watson played in Europe and the D-League.
Watson, who played three years with the Golden State Warriors, makes $3.4 million in salaries this season. (Fakhouri Amjid)
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Fakhouri Amjid.
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
Former WBC champ Bazooka Limón hospitalized in Mexico By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Sun, 11 Jan 2026Zuffa Boxing set to unveil its maiden card on January 23 in Las Vegas By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Sat, 10 Jan 2026‘I’ve got an army and army’s move in numbers’ Owen Corrigan returns for Light Heavyweight title Clash March 13 in Perth – Thunderdome 53 , Sat, 10 Jan 2026Pasalamat Festival Chess Tour 2026 to Push Through By Marlon Bernardino, , Sat, 10 Jan 2026MANNY PACQUIAO PROMOTIONS & TURNING STONE RESORT CASINO PRESENT CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28 - VERONA, NY , Sat, 10 Jan 2026ELIF TURHAN SIGNS NEW MULTI-FIGHT DEAL WITH MATCHROOM BOXING – FIRST IBF WORLD TITLE DEFENCE DATE SET FOR SATURDAY, JANUARY 31 , Sat, 10 Jan 2026Driving Philippine Tennis Forward: Jean Henri Lhuillier Champions the 2026 Cebuana Lhuillier Tennis Tour By Marlon Bernardino, , Sat, 10 Jan 20262026 USA Boxing Elite High Performance Selection Camp Attendees Announced , Sat, 10 Jan 2026‘I’m ready to make some noise’ Billy Quinncroft returns for Cruiserweight title Clash March 13 in Perth – Thunderdome 53 , Fri, 09 Jan 2026Dableo and Laylo's Team to Compete in Bulacan By Marlon Bernardino, , Fri, 09 Jan 2026Sanman Boxing present Yeerken vs. Carcedo WBA Asia South Title Clash in General Santos City on Feb 9 , Fri, 09 Jan 2026Hardstone adds 2 more title fights on January 26 By Lito delos Reyes, , Fri, 09 Jan 2026Panamerican Boxing Confederation Partners with Xempower for Digital and AI-Driven Transformation , Fri, 09 Jan 2026IGMOB TALENT GROUP Launches www.IGMOBTalent.com to Represent Fighters, Entertainers, and Rising Talent Across Sports & Media , Fri, 09 Jan 2026SEAG Davao-based athletes eye International stints By Lito delos Reyes, , Fri, 09 Jan 2026Canoy banking on his ring experience against Kuse By Lito delos Reyes, , Thu, 08 Jan 2026Undefeated Kansas Middleweight Prospect Marco “El Tiburon” Romero finished 2025 with 7th triumphs, all by knockout, & 11-0 record , Thu, 08 Jan 2026Kinetix Sports aims for bigger events in 2026 By Lito delos Reyes, , Thu, 08 Jan 20262026 Santa Maria Town Fiesta Chess Challenge on January 26 By Marlon Bernardino, , Thu, 08 Jan 2026World Ranked Heavyweight Dainier Pero Headlines on Saturday, January 17th at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia , Wed, 07 Jan 2026Jahyae Brown to Battle Arnold Gonzalez in Exciting Co-Feature on Thursday, January 15th at The War Memorial in Trenton, New Jersey , Wed, 07 Jan 2026Hendri Cedeno Seeks Monumental Victory Against Alfredo Santiago for NABO Title January 10 at Barclays Center , Tue, 06 Jan 2026Kingsley Ibeh learned from his Loss 5 years ago to Jared Anderson , Tue, 06 Jan 2026Unified World Cruiserweight Champion Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez returning to Corpus Christi…as a promoter! , Tue, 06 Jan 2026Ocum to fight Ballesteros on January 26 By Lito delos Reyes, , Mon, 05 Jan 2026 |

|
|
|
|
|