Derrick Rose Starting To Show the Chicago Bulls What He's Capable of Doing

Derrick Rose is obviously a talented basketball player, but he has at least two things going against him:

One, he was the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft, so expectations are through the roof.

And two, he plays in a city where the best ever reigned.

In case you don't know, that player would be one Michael Jordan. Perhaps you've heard of him.

Now, we know that Rose will never be as good as MJ. That's a given, and not necessarily a bad thing, for no one is Jordan but Jordan. And that's the way it should be.

But lately, he is starting to show the aggressiveness that will be necessary if D-Rose is ever going to reach the heights that Bulls fans expect of him.

Oh sure, he has flaws. For one, he doesn't play great defense. For another, until this year, he just wasn't willing to be THE MAN. Instead, he was more than willing to defer to Ben Gordon in crunch time.

Now, that's not necessarily a bad thing, as Rose is a point guard. Still, you don't draft a guy No. 1 to be a second banana. Plus, now that Gordon has left the Bulls for Detroit, the team now needs someone to step up and take that shot when the game is on the line.

Rose averaged 23 PPG this month, and for the season he is at 19.4 PPG. Maybe it's not fair to expect a 6'3" guard to be dominant, but hey, dems the breaks when you're drafted No. 1 overall.

D-Rose looked great scoring 27 pts in a 98-93 victory over the Spurs tonight, with the flu. That's three wins in a row on the road for the Bulls.

That reminds me, who else used to perform well when he was sick? Hmm, I just can't remember.

When the Bulls drafted Rose, the only question was whether he or Michael Beasley should be their selection.

So far, it looks like they made the right choice: Beasley spent time last season in drug rehab, and this year, he is averaging around 16 PPG and almost seven RPG.

Look, Beasley is not a bad player, and the Bulls do need a strong inside presence. His fourth quarter benchings appear to be a thing of the past.

Still, I think the Bulls did the right thing drafting Rose, as long as they can sign one of the many super free agents who will be available after the season.

Meanwhile, if Rose continues to improve, there is no telling what he can do.

Unfortunately, it will never be enough.