Why Derrick Rose Has the Most Critical Injury in the NBA

If you need any argument as to why Derrick Rose is the reigning MVP, look no further than last night's game against the Washington Wizards. Without Rose in the lineup, the Bulls offense, ranked fifth in the NBA prior to last night in efficiency, became stagnant. 

This is the other side of the MVP argument—when you don't have to conjecture what the team would look like without your candidate and the answer is "not very pretty."

Without Derrick Rose leading the charge, the Bulls shot a meager .367 from the field as a team. Derrick Rose's .450 sounds more than passable compared to that. 

The Chicago Bulls are a top defensive team with or without Rose in the lineup. That's true. The problem is that the Bulls are a horrible offensive team without Rose, and that's more true right now than ever. 

The Bulls are already without their starting shooting guard and their backup point guard, both of whom who have missed half the team's games this season. 

It's gotten to the point where John Lucas III had to start for the Bulls last night. The 29-year-old Lucas, in his fourth year as a pro, has already attempted 67 field goals this year. His career point total is 255. That's padded by the 69 points he scored this year and the 25 percent he scored last night. 

Think about that. Nearly 10 percent of the fourth-year pros points came last night!

If you're in the league for four years and you have less than 300 points, there's a reason for that. You are a barely borderline pro. You are serious end-of-the-bench material. 

That's the drop-off from Rose being injured to not being injured right now. While that might be something they can give away against the lowly Wizards, the worst team in the NBA, it's not going to be something they can give in their next game against the Boston Celtics when they face Rajon Rondo. 

The run of top point guards that the Bulls face after that doesn't stop. In order, the Bulls face Jose Calderon, Michael Conley, Steve Nash, Kyrie Irving, DJ Augustin, Deron Williams and Darren Collison. 

That's a series of matchups that Rose wins and series of matchups John Lucas III doesn't really have a chance in. 

The combination of the fact that Derrick Rose is the league's MVP, the present injury problems the Bulls are having in the backcourt and the elite competition of the Bulls' opponents at his position over the next couple of weeks indicate that the Bulls could be in serious trouble if Rose is out for a while.