Russ Isabella – USA Today Sports Images
Carlos Boozer suffered in the 2012-2013 NBA season while the Chicago Bulls played without their star point guard. He put up solid averages of 16.2 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game, but his efficiency took a noticeable dive as he shot only 47.7 percent from the field, well below his career mark of 52.9 percent shooting.
Boozer was forced to work posted up last season much more than he would if Rose had been healthy. 33.4 percent of Boozer’s offensive plays came on post-ups, by far his most used offensive set. Though he averaged a solid 0.84 points per possession on post-ups, the 72nd best rate in the league, posting up isn’t as effective as working out of other sets.
Looking at Boozer’s past seasons in Chicago when Rose was on the floor, Rose’s play greatly benefited Boozer. The power forward was able to work more in the pick-and-roll and off of cuts while also not having to post up quite as often. Overall last season, Boozer averaged 0.9 points per possession. With Rose on the floor in the previous two seasons, Boozer averaged 0.93 and 0.95 points per possession, respectively.
If the Bulls are going to be a contender in the Eastern Conference this season, they need Boozer to be effective and efficient offensively, more so than he was last season. Obviously his defense is going to continue to be inconsistent, as it always has been, but he did show some improvement in that area last season. The big issue is making Boozer a more balanced and efficient offensive player.
However, that really shouldn’t be an issue if Rose returns to the floor and looks like his old self. Rose creates a lot of opportunities for guys like Boozer and allows them to get more effective looks at scoring. The Bulls need Boozer to be better, but Rose returning should take care of a lot of that.
Cody Williams is a Senior Writer with Rant Sports. Follow Cody on Twitter @TheSizzle20, add him on Google and like his Facebook page.
