Derrick Rose Injury: How Playoff Dominoes Will Fall with D-Rose Sidelined

Derrick Rose's torn ACL was absolutely devastating.

The replays were gruesome, basketball fans around the world cringed and almost everyone knew that Rose's season was over as soon as he crumpled to the ground.

In a season where Rose has been dogged by injuries, this one comes at the worst possible timing.

The Chicago Bulls had been considered a front-runner for a title appearance this season.

We've been talking about the impressive depth all season long, and despite the loss of Rose, that element of this team still remains.

However, any time a team loses its superstar (and in this case, the 2010-11 regular season MVP), it's incredibly difficult to overcome.

Yes, C.J. Watson filled in admirably when Rose was out of the lineup this season, but his averages of 11.3 points and 4.6 assists per game (25 starts) just don't stack up to what Rose does for the Bulls.

It goes beyond the numbers.

Whether it's cutting to the rim to draw a double-team, using his speed on the perimeter to draw a big man away from the rim or getting to the foul line at will, Rose took a ton of pressure off of the other Chicago starters.

Now, it's time for his teammates to step up.

Eastern Conference

With Rose no longer in the playoff picture, the path appears cleared for the Miami Heat to win a title. 

Although the Bulls went 2-2 in the regular season against the Heat (1-1 without Rose), this is a different Miami team. This is the playoff version of the talented Heat team, and this is a better version of the club that made the NBA Finals last season.

The Boston Celtics already look like a team in trouble.

With Ray Allen out in Game 1 (and possibly longer) due to a troublesome ankle issue and with Rajon Rondo facing a potential suspension for Game 2, the Celtics simply need to play a better brand of basketball for anyone to take this team seriously as any kind of contender.

Somebody has to win the Indiana Pacers vs. Orlando Magic series, but neither of those teams are serious threats to either Miami or Chicago even with Rose no longer a part of the picture.

At the end of the day, we should get the highly-anticipated Eastern Conference finals matchup that so many want to see in Chicago vs. Miami, but nobody should be surprised if the Bulls struggle to match Miami's tempo without Rose.

Western Conference

Although Rose's absence doesn't directly impact what goes on in the wild, wild Western Conference, there is one title contender that never wanted to see Rose: the Los Angeles Lakers.

Ramon Sessions has been a great addition at point guard since arriving at the trade deadline, but for as good as he's been on the offensive end, Sessions has trouble staying in front of his man at times and has proven that he can be beat to the basket.

It might be crazy to some, but with Chicago having Carlos Boozer, Joakim Noah, Taj Gibson and Omer Asik beneath the basket and Miami rolling out a very small roster, the Lakers' length is an obvious competitive advantage over the Heat that wouldn't be as useful against Miami.

The Los Angeles Clippers vs. Memphis Grizzlies series will be scrappy and fun one to watch, but how many of us expect either team to win it all? Exactly.

What about the other title-hopeful teams? That's right, I'm talking about the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder.

Each team is constructed very differently. While San Antonio is incredibly deep, Oklahoma City is built around a handful of key contributors who have to show up in every game.

Miami has impressive star power, and in the playoffs, that's typically what matters most.

Rose's injury would make things easier for both Tony Parker and Russell Westbrook, but without No. 1 in uniform, we're likely looking at Miami making its second straight trip to the championship round.

For the Lakers, Spurs and Thunder, that might not be the worst thing in the world.