All-Star point guard and reigning MVP Derrick Rose finally returned to the Bulls starting roster after missing five straight games with lingering back spasms. In his return, he scored 23 points as well as six assists and five rebounds in 35 minutes. He looked good running the floor with his elite speed, and his jumper looked good, adding two 3-pointers.
Now, what does that mean for the Bulls, who have the second best record in the east after the heat? Not as much as you may think. Yes, the Bulls need a healthy Rose to make a run for their first title since the Jordan era. However, they are 6-3 without Rose this year, and Carlos Boozer, Joakim Noah and especially Luol Deng, who will join Rose in the All-Star game this year, have been fantastic in his absence. Backup point guard CJ Watson is a premier three-point shooter, and though he lacks the athleticism of Rose, he is a starting-caliber guard that many teams (Lakers!) would love to have as a starter.
The three losses without Rose have a lot to do with other injuries, specifically to Watson, Deng, and the starting two-guard Richard Hamilton, who, when he straps on the mask, can flat out score. When your scoring options at guard are 36-year-old Mike James ad 5’11” John Lucas III, you can foresee some problems. Those three losses have less to do with Rose’s absence and more to do with the fact that the Bulls’ first THREE options at guard were injured. Still, they went 6-3 without the reigning MVP, which by the definition of that award is impressive. It’s also impressive that most of those games were on the road. Deng also became the first Bulls forward to have 20 points and 10 assists in two consecutive games since Scottie Pippen.
Now, I want to reiterate this is not at all a dis on Rose’s importance to this team. It is paramount that he is healthy come playoff time. Just look at the rest of this team, though. Deng, Noah, and guard Ronnie Brewer are some of the best defensive players in the league. So is Taj Gibson off the bench. The Bulls may not have the Big Three, but they have eight players that are starting caliber players in the NBA. This team is incredibly different from the Jordan-led Bulls of the 90s, but it gives Chicagoans a feeling of déjà vu.
This team is built to win it all. They have the best on-ball defenders of any team in the NBA (Brewer, Deng and Noah), a star player (D-Rose), multiple scoring options (Rose, Deng, Boozer and Watson off the bench), tough post play and rebounding (Noah and Taj Gibson) and the veteran experienced in the finals (Rip Hamilton). Plus, they didn’t destroy the city of Cleveland to get this team, so what’s not to love?
The Chicago Bulls are among the favorites to win the title, and they should be America’s favorite. The 2011-2012 Chicago Bulls play the game the way it’s meant to be played, hard and as a team. That’s why the loss of D-Rose isn’t crippling to this team. They’ll use depth, sweat and motivation to win, even if their MVP isn’t able to showcase his talents on the court.
By Adam Pope
