NBA MVP: Is Chicago Bulls Guard Derrick Rose Back in the Race?

After a slow start to the season, many questioned MVP Derrick Rose and his importance to his team and his legitimacy as defending MVP. However in the last few games, Rose and his Chicago Bulls have come out and taken the league by storm. In their last ten games, the Bulls are 9-1. Excluding yesterday's game against Indiana, Rose has averaged 26 points per game, seven assists per game and a steal per game over the last six games: all Bulls wins. 

So with Rose's recent surge, the Thunder and Heat's struggles, and the fact that the Bulls are on top of the league again, Derrick Rose has to jump right back again into the MVP conversation. 

There is no question that Rose is not quite at the top yet. However right now, nba.com has him ranked as the fifth in the chase for the MVP. There is no way that he is that low. Let's think to the players ranked in front of him: LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, and Kobe Bryant. 

LeBron and Durant at this point have to be ranked ahead of Rose. They have put up far superior numbers to him, and have been more consistent over the course of the season. Rose does have the ability to catch them, but he's not there yet. 

So let's look at Kobe and CP3. The Bulls have a better record than both of these Hollywood stars. Both of these players