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Bulls guard Fred Hoiberg knows Rose and Best from his days as a Pacer

Rose Brings Versatility, Intensity to Bulls

Jalen Rose Jalen Rose has instantly become the Bulls' leader.
  • Rose discusses coming to Chicago
  • What they're saying about Rose, Best and the Bulls...

    February 20, 2002

    One of the things that Jerry Krause and Bill Cartwright did before completing the trade on Tuesday with the Indiana Pacers was to do a little additional research on the players they were looking at acquiring.

    Specifically, that meant talking to some of Jalen Rose’s current and past teammates.

    Rose, Chicago’s primary target in the seven-player deal, had to meet high marks in areas other than three-point shooting or defensive help before Chicago was willing to barter. If the Bulls were going to invest in a player with a large contract that extends several seasons beyond the current one, they better be sure the guy was worth it.

    Turns out he was and the 6-8, 210 pound guard/forward from Michigan will join the Bulls today.

    One of the players Krause and Cartwright surely spoke to was current Bulls guard Fred Hoiberg. Hoiberg, who spent the first four years of his professional career with Indiana, was a teammate of Rose’s for three seasons. After the trade was completed, Hoiberg shared his opinion on the Bulls’ move.

    “I think it’s a good thing. Jalen will bring a lot of intensity to our team,” Hoiberg said. “He can go out and do a lot of things for us--he can post-up, hit the three and he’s got a great mid-range game. He’s a great passer who is capable of getting a triple-double on any given night. He brings a lot of versatility to a team and we are excited about having him.”

    Travis Best Hoiberg says Best's experience and aggressiveness will help the Bulls.
    Another player Hoiberg shared the court with in Indianapolis was Travis Best. Best and Hoiberg were both selected by the Pacers in the 1995 NBA Draft--Best was selected 23rd overall while Hoiberg’s name was called 52nd overall. The four seasons they played together made Hoiberg a good reference once again.

    “Travis is a guy who will get up on you defensively,” Hoiberg stated. “He’s a great player with the pick-and-roll. And he’s another guy with great intensity.”

    On top of it all, Hoiberg says, both Rose and Best are good people off the court.

    “[Best and Rose] are two quality guys as well. They are both going to do very well in this city and hopefully will be here for quite some time.”

    As Hoiberg knows, Rose’s resume is stuffed with playoff experience. After competing in 58 post-season games as a Pacer, including taking on the Lakers for the title in 2000, coming to a team searching to find its winning ways may take some time for Rose.

    “You’ve got to understand that this is a guy who played in the NBA Finals two years ago. Anytime you have to go [from that level] to a rebuilding experience is going to be tough on a person,” Hoiberg explained. “But Jalen is competitive enough that he is going to take this as a challenge. He’s going to come in here and be the man and carry a lot of the offense on his shoulders. He’s got a chance to come up with some great young players in Tyson, Eddy, Trent, Jamal and Eddie Robinson. He might look at this as a chance to come in and take a team to the top.”

    - Adam Fluck, Bulls.com
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