I’ve said for a few months that if I had a vote for MVP, it would go to Derrick Rose. I don’t think there’s any question that Rose means more to his team than any other player does to their team, and he has the Bulls in position to possibly end up as a #1 seed in the East come playoff time. Compare that to last year when the Bulls just barely made it into the playoffs as an 8th seed by winning on the final day of the season. Sure, the Bulls have added some pieces, but this improvement is largely because of Rose’s elevated play this year.
Personally, I think it’s comical for anyone to legitimately make an argument for someone else to be the MVP this season. Apparently I’m not alone. Michael Jordan thinks the same thing and he recently called Derrick Rose this year’s MVP too. On Wednesday, Rose took his Bulls to North Carolina to take on MJ’s Bobcats. In that game, Rose had 20 points, 6 assists, 4 boards, 2 steals and 3 blocks en route to the 101 – 84 win for Chicago.
After the game, Jordan, who was courtside for the contest, was asked what he thought about Rose’s impact on the Bulls this season.
“MVP of the season. He deserves it. He’s playing that well. He deserves it. Without a doubt. And if he doesn’t get it, now he’ll see how I felt a lot of years.”
Disregard the part where Mike pats himself on the back in an attempt to remind us of how great he was (which he does all the time. Mike, we remember, it’s ok). But if you’re endorsed by Mike, that should mean something.
One thing that I like about Rose is how humble he is. Let me tell you something: If I was 22 years old, playing in my hometown, the best PG in the league and an MVP candidate, I’d let everyone know it. Rose’s reserved nature and humble approach have won over many around the league and have made his extremely marketable. In response to Jordan’s comments, Rose said,
“It’s great that he said that, it’s an honor, but we’re trying to keep winning. The award, like I’ve said, it will come if we keep winning. But we’re trying to play hard, play together, and keep playing aggressive and play with an edge.”
He’s the MVP, hands down.
If you’re looking for your everyday, predictable basketball talk, then go somewhere else, because Kevin Burke of The Kevin Burke Project brings provocative, thought provoking content about basketball as only he can. Kevin also hosts The Hoop Doctors weekly podcast show, which you can subscribe to for free on iTunes. Follow Kevin on Twitter and Facebook
