After missing 115 out of a possible 164 regular season games over the last two seasons, nobody can fault the Chicago Bulls for feeling a tinge of anxiety every time Derrick Rose takes any sort of tumble. Rose didn’t take a particularly hard fall in the Bulls’ recent preseason game with the Cleveland Cavaliers, as this video shows, but every one of his teammates were quick to rush in and check on their star point guard.
Rose was just fine and only needed help getting back up, but be prepared to see that sort of anxiety a lot in Bulls games this season. Every time Rose falls, his team holds its collective breath. That’s because for the first time since 2010-11, Chicago is a legitimate championship contender, but it is a status highly dependent on Rose finally staying on the court.
NBA Futures odds are surprisingly still strong for the Bulls who are priced at +600 to win the Championship, indicating high hopes for a healthy Rose. But given his recent track record, another setback is not entirely out of the question.
Losing Rose again would no doubt be a huge blow to those title aspirations. Rose offers something irreplaceable for the Bulls, which is his ability to create his own shot from the perimeter. It’s what Chicago has been missing ever since he came down with his series of injuries.
Aaron Brooks, their new backup point guard, is capable of breaking down the defense from time to time, and Jimmy Butler has improved his play making off the dribble. But they’re nowhere near the caliber of Rose, a legit 20-point scorer and former league MVP blessed with the ability to carve defenses open almost at will. Rose showed glimpses of that undeniable talent in his 30-point performance against the Cavs.
The Bulls added some scoring to their front-line this summer with veteran Pau Gasol as well as rookies Doug McDermott and Nikola Mirotic on the bench. Gasol, who is as good a low post scorer as there is in the world, will team up with Joakim Noah, the team’s point-center last season who was masterful in orchestrating the offense from the high post. However, it was painfully obvious throughout the year that they missed Rose and his offensive talent, especially in the playoffs.
Head coach Tom Thibodeau has successfully led two Rose-less Bulls teams to the postseason, and he should still have enough talent to do so for a third year in a row if Rose does get hurt again. Just don’t expect them to go any further than the second round without their star point guard providing some additional offensive punch.
