Chicago Bulls fans should
mark October 5 on their calendars and prepare themselves for the biggest
comeback since Michael Jordan's return to the team in 1995.
In about one month,
Derrick Rose is expected to don his red jersey for the first time in more than
a year when the Bulls open their preseason in Indianapolis against the Indiana
Pacers.
Rose has not played a
single minute of regulation basketball since tearing his ACL in the final minutes of
game one in the first round of the 2012 NBA playoffs. Regardless of injury, any
player who spends that much time away from the game is bound to lose their
touch and accumulate some rust, and players like Rose who depend on their athleticism
often never return to form.
Just ask Tracy McGrady or
Brandon Roy's knees.
But, with advancements in
sports medicine, many players are able to make comebacks and even return to
elite levels of play. Adrian Peterson, a star running back for the Minnesota
Vikings, tore his ACL in 2011 only to return the next season, rush for more than 2,000 yards and win the NFL
Offensive Player of the Year Award and the NFL MVP.
To Rose's credit, he
already won an MVP in 2011.
The Bulls have documented
Rose's recovery progress and even issued statements of support when livid fans
clamored for his return after doctors medically cleared him to play in March.
Once the regular season ended and the Bulls entered the playoffs in fifth
place, fans realized Rose was not coming back and could do nothing but support his decision to remain sidelined.
One cannot help
imagine what could have been if Rose had returned when he was cleared. The
Bulls suffered many injuries throughout the season — Luol Deng, Joakim Noah and
Kirk Hinrich missed a combined 60 regular season and post season games — but
even with a depleted roster, the Bulls were in playoff contention all season
and even upset the fourth place Brooklyn Nets in the first round.
The 2012-2013 Bulls squad sans Rose was a damn good team. There were plenty of
highlights: the team ended the Miami Heat's 27-game win streak on March 27 with a 101-97 victory, and point guard Nate Robinson came one point short of breaking Michael Jordan's franchise record for points in a fourth quarter playoff game just one month later. But, the 2012-2013 Bulls with Rose arguably could have been an NBA champion squad. The Bulls led the league in wins the prior two seasons, with 62 for the 2010-2011 season and 50 for the 2011-2012 season. Without Rose, the Bulls' record only dropped to 45 wins for the 2012-2013 season. That level of success without a star player is a silver lining to what many thought was a gloomy season.
Instead of looking to the
past and what could have been, Bulls fans should look to the future with
optimism because this team has grown significantly. Without Rose, players like Noah had to step up and lead the team on both ends of the court. During the course of the season, Noah asserted himself as one of the premier centers in the league and earned his first spot on the Eastern Conference All-Star team. Most importantly, forward Jimmy Butler came out of nowhere to become a key contributor and defensive anchor towards the end of the season when he went a ridiculous three straight playoff games without getting a rest on the bench. With Rose's fragile body a constant concern, Butler has now become the team's iron man, which should have Bulls fans hopeful for the team's future as he joins Rose to create the Bulls' new backcourt.
Noah and Butler aren't the only ones who progressed last season. On several occasions, ESPN reported that Rose was improving his shooting. Coach Tom Thibodeau was quoted saying Rose was working
on his shot because it was the only thing he could do during his rehab.
Rose has always been an
explosive and elite player, but perimeter shooting has been his only weakness
during his four seasons in Chicago. Already an MVP caliber player, news that
Rose has improved his jump-shot should cause the league to collectively shudder
in fear of how good he might be this upcoming season.
Rose might never be the
same player he was before his injury, but he has the same relentless work ethic
that Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James posses. His four seasons in
Chicago are testament to the fact he will not go down easily and he will do
whatever it takes to lead this team to greatness.
In order to reach
greatness — an NBA championship — Rose will have to go through the
aforementioned James and prevent the Heat from reaching the NBA
Finals for the fourth consecutive year and from winning their third straight
championship. It will be no small task, but Rose and the Bulls have shown they are only content with winning. Expect this Bulls team to come stampeding
out of the gates as soon as the preseason starts and continue at a relentless
pace until they reach the playoffs and, hopefully, NBA Finals.
After the Bulls'
preseason opener in Indianapolis, the team will play the Memphis
Grizzlies (Oct. 7), the Washington Wizards (Oct. 12), the Detroit Pistons (Oct. 16), the Indiana Pacers (Oct. 18), the Milwaukee Bucks (Oct. 21), the Oklahoma City Thunder (Oct. 23) and the Denver Nuggets (Oct. 25) before starting regular season play against the Miami Heat on Oct. 29.
