The last time Derrick Rose played like the NBA most valuable player (MVP) that he was, the Chief Bull nearly lead the Chicago Bulls to the NBA Finals during the 2010-11 season. That would have been the first time for the team from Windy City in the post-Michael Jordan era.
If not for Lebron James and the Miami Heat getting in their way and taking the Eastern Conference championship from under them that year, Rose would have completed the season as MVP and at least an NBA Finals contender. He led the Bulls to an NBA-best 62-20 regular season record that time.
But it has never been the same for the Chicago Bulls since that remarkable run as Rose suffered an ACL injury that sidelined him for nearly two years. His comeback during the Bulls’ ninth game against Portland in November 2013 during the 2013-14 NBA season saw him suffering a second season-ending injury.
That is why when Rose started the NBA’s 2014-15 season with no injury after joining the US team and successfully competing for the FIBA Basketball World Cup in Barcelona, Spain in August, the entire Chicago and the Bulls fans the world over were rejoicing.
They should be as the Bulls have the right elements to finally go deep into the playoffs especially with a healthy Derrick Rose on the lineup and Pau Gasol backing him up there, supported by the rest of the hardworking and scrappy Bulls lineup.
Better performance in the playoffs
Despite not having Rose in the roster for the most part last season, the Bulls managed to get to the playoffs only to be eliminated by the Washington Wizards in the first round in five games.
With a healthy Derrick Rose however, a first round exit in the NBA playoffs would be a remote possibility for the Bulls.
While Rose has yet to be back to his old self, there are already traces that he is slowly getting there.
This season, he has already missed a couple of games for minor injuries but not as debilitating as the ones he suffered in 2011 and 2013.
The Chief Bull is apparently peaking at the right time, building first on his confidence to take over and lead his team once again to victories, notes iSportsweb.
Although he has been on a shooting slump over the last couple of games, with a shooting percentage of below 30%, that would not deter the former NBA MVP into finding his deadly form and peaking at just about the right time – starting at the second half of the NBA season most likely.
When a healthy Rose rejoined the Bulls at the start of the season, everyone in the NBA was looking at their direction to become a serious contender for the NBA title this season.
LeBron James may need some more time to make it all work in Cleveland before the team goes to the level of the Miami Heat of the past four NBA seasons, but the Bulls are primed not only to go deep into the playoffs but the NBA championship as well.