Bulls' Watson: No Ordinary Backup

Backing up a superstar is pretty much a thankless job. I mean, no one wants to see you in the game and most fans anxiously count the minutes until you return to the bench where you belong. This is C.J. Watson's role on the Bulls...backing up reigning NBA MVP, Derrick Rose.

So far this season, Watson has shrugged off the low expectations most have for him and is having himself a pretty remarkable season.

Make no mistake, Watson is no Rose, but the Derrick Rose impression he's been performing this year is damn close to spot on. While most superstars' backups strive for competency, Watson is delivering excellence. You could make a good argument that no NBA superstar has an understudy who so closely mirrors the real deal as Watson has mirrored Rose.

Rose remains extraordinary, leading all point guards with 23 points per game and is 8th in the league with 7.9 assists per game. Rose also contributes 3.4 rebounds and 0.9 steals per game. Rose's Player Efficiency Rating (PER) of 25.2 is even higher than it was in his MVP season (23.5). In other words, Rose is still a very "tough act to follow."

Since Watson is averaging only 20.5 minutes per game to Rose's 36.1, C.J. can't be expected to put up the same sort of per game numbers as Rose, but on a per-36 minute basis, Watson's numbers have been beyond solid.

Watson's averaging 18.3 points, 7.3 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.9 steals per-36. Thanks to Watson's blistering 49.1% from beyond the 3-point line (3rd in the NBA), his "True Shooting Percentage," the best published measure of scoring efficiency, is .572 to Rose's .559.

Watson's PER is 21.4. To put this in perspective, Watson's PER ranks 7th among NBA point guards, ahead of stars like New Jersey's Deron Williams, San Antonio's Tony Parker and Boston's Rajon Rondo. No other backup point guard is even close.

Due to Rose's battles with "turf toe," Watson has had to start 3 games this season for the Bulls. The team won all three of those games and Watson ran the offense well enough for the Bulls to average a whopping 109 points. While Watson clearly can't take the ball to the basket like Rose (just about nobody can), Watson isn't afraid to create off penetration. Combined with his deadly outside shooting, the Watson-led Bulls' offense is very nearly as effective as the headliners.

In last night's game against the New Jersey Nets, Rose was only able to play about 10 minutes due to back spasms. For most teams, this might have created a sense of dread since the Nets' superstar is Deron Williams, also a point guard. However, Watson again stepped in and stepped up big time, scoring 14 points, dishing out 11 assists and pulling down 7 rebounds in an easy 108-87 Bulls victory.

Watson clearly is no Derrick Rose, but as reasonable facsimiles go, he'll do quite nicely, thank you.

 

Typo 0.9 assists?

A lot can be said for good stats against teams' second units, but he's been really good starting or playing big minutes when Rose can't play.

Opponents also plan to stop Rose, and as you point out, Watson plays a different style.

Watson is certainly having a career year. It helps that he has teammates who are playing well, too.

I'm sure glad he's a Bull!

 

No wonder so many people say Rose isn't a "pure" point guard. Fixed, thanks.

Agree. I thought he was good last season...as small-minutes backups go. This season you don't need many qualifiers. The guy's ballin'.

 

Looking at his stats, what he's really doing well is hitting the 3 and finding the open man.

 

He's also a plus defender, IMO. About the only weaknesses he has is that he doesn't have a mid-range game and he isn't very strong at taking it to the hole.

I don't expect his near-50% 3-pt shooting to hold up, but I do expect him to continue his good play and be teamed more with Rose when matchups are favorable.

 

Semi-OT

Bogans is now with the Nets. Around the time we played the Nets, I read an article about how royally pissed he is at the Bulls for the way he was cut. It seems he showed up for practice the first Monday thru Friday. The Bulls signed Rip and when Bogans showed up on Friday, they told him to leave.

You reminded me about this because the article raved about his defense, that he could be getting situational minutes for the Bulls (e.g. Guarding Wade). It also talked about how little he gave the team on offense, especially the occasional 3 on average shooting %.

You talked about CJ and Rose playing together more. I love the idea for several reasons.

1. He is hitting the 3 at a phenomenal rate.
2. He would make teams pay for shadowing Rose so much.
3. He's a legit 2nd ballhandler and playmaker, something we lack with Brewer or Korver.
4. There's no reason Rose needs to bring the ball up court every play. Even Jordan didn't have to do this, tho he did sometimes.
5. While a smurf backcourt might be a slight disadvantage on defense, CJ's quickness and passing and shooting may far outweigh that liability. He's a mismatch for opposing defenses.

I'd rather win 100-85 than 80-70. It's more fun to watch, it benefits the player (better stats), the differential is greater (15 vs. 10), and we'd most likely be winning via blowout instead of needing clutch scoring late.

With tighter low scoring games, a few easy baskets or fluke 3pt shots can beat you. Witness the heat game.

$.02

 

Seems you jinxed CJ.

 

Yeah...it's a gift.

 

I'd love for CJ to come and take over the starting job in Portland. He's better than anyone we have at the point, and likely better than anyone we could realistically obtain.

 

I was admirer of Ray Felton when he was with the Knicks. I don't really understand what is going on in Portland now.