NBA Playoffs 2012: How Derrick Rose's Injury Clears LeBron James' Path to Finals

Derrick Rose is out, which means the path to an NBA title has never been clearer for LeBron James and the Miami Heat.

Chicago still has what it takes to contend, and there's always Boston to consider, but the soon-to-be league MVP and his team are officially in the driver's seat.

The Heat are fresh off a romping of the New York Knicks, and arguably for the first time all season, appear genuinely interested.

That's because the postseason has arrived, a time when Dwyane Wade becomes intrigued and James has an additional slew of critics to go up against.

And make no mistake, the Bulls, more so than the Celtics, Knicks, Thunder and Spurs, were the greatest obstacle standing between the Heat and championship.

Miami split the season series with Chicago. Though the Bulls have proven to be a scrappy team without Rose on the floor, their chances against a LeBron-led Heat over a seven game series are less than favorable.

James is locked in, seemingly prepared to leave his inner postseason demons behind him. He tore apart the Knicks on both sides of the floor in just three quarters, scoring 32 points and grabbing four steals while shooting over 70 percent from the field.

There are only three players in the Eastern Conference who can be considered in the same class of performer as James. One, Wade, is his teammate. Another, Carmelo Anthony, was shut down by James himself on Saturday.

And then there's Rose, the 23-year-old prodigy who has drawn comparisons to Michael Jordan even amid his bouts with injury, the young gun who was believed to have the prolific athleticism necessary to overthrow the James-led Heat.

But he's been taken out of the equation, and now the path to James' first NBA title is as open as ever. Any potential excuses are out the window. Any serious roadblocks have been removed.

James and the Heat now live in an Eastern Conference that is built for them to waltz into the finals. They lost only three games on their road to the finals last year, including a routine mash-up of a Rose-included Bulls.

And what awaits them this season? A battered Knicks team? A fragile Celtics squad? A Bulls team down their best player?

They are not opponents to be taken lightly, but they are also not opponents that instill fear in Miami. And they shouldn't.

As long as James continues to embrace the spotlight, continues to thrive on the stage he's supposed to thrive on and avoids another playoff meltdown, the Heat are coming out of the Eastern Conference.

With Rose out, the NBA championship is now James' and the rest of the Heat's to lose.

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