Derrick Rose Injury: Why the Chicago Bulls Are Doomed Without Their Star

As Derrick Rose lay on the floor clutching his injured knee in Game 1 of the Chicago Bulls playoff opener versus the Philadelphia 76ers, the United Center became as silent as Wrigley Field on a World Series night in October.

And now the Bulls have as good of a chance to win the NBA title this year as the Chicago Cubs have of ending their 103-year championship drought.

In other words, little to no chance.

Say all you want about Chicago going 18-9 this season without Rose. Tell me that Rip Hamilton is just rounding into shape. Say that Kyle Korver is playing the best ball of his career. 

And I'll stand by the fact that the Bulls will not win a championship without its young superstar.

In the NBA playoffs, superstars win titles. Really good teams do not. Look at the last 25 NBA champions. There is a Hall of Fame player (or future Hall of Famer) on 24 of those 25 teams; the 2004 Detroit Pistons are the lone exception. You don't need Jim Sturgess to tell you that those are not favorable odds for Chicago's title chances.

Are there any future Hall of Famers on this Bulls roster without Rose? It's too early to tell, but probably not. They are a collection of solid to above-average players with plenty of depth. But that can only take you so far.

I'm not saying that Rose is a future Hall of Famer, but he is the closest Bull to fit the bill. Of course, it is impossible to predict how the youngest MVP in NBA history will come back from this devastating torn ACL. 

Chicago has enough to handle the 76ers. It wouldn't even be surprising to see a sweep or a five-game series win. This group has confidence and plenty of talent to get past the lower teams of the Eastern Conference, including the Boston Celtics or Atlanta Hawks, the Bulls' potential opponents in Round 2.

But Dwyane Wade and LeBron James will not be denied against a Rose-less Bulls squad in a seven-game series in the Eastern Conference finals. Chicago could steal one game, maybe even two, against the Miami Heat, but it won't win four.

One good thing for the Bulls that comes out of Rose's injury is that there is now even more pressure on Miami to win the title. If Chicago could keep each game close deep into the fourth quarter, who knows? Maybe LeBron will choke away the conference championship. 

Other players have stepped up in Rose's absence at the end of games this year, but this is the playoffs. You need someone special to take those end-of-game shots. And Rose is the most special player in Chicago since Michael Jordan.

Sure, Rose did not perform well late in games last season in the conference finals. But who else did? Winning a championship is a process (unless your name is Magic Johnson). Superstars and their teams fail before reaching the promised land. Even Jordan lost in the conference finals for two straight years before winning it all for the first time.

Each role player around Rose has vastly improved something in their games in the offseason, Chicago acquired Rip Hamilton, the pieces were in place and Rose had the keys to drive the Bulls to the NBA Finals. 

The Bulls may still be on that track, but this year is a detour. If Chicago makes it to the conference finals and pushes the Heat, it would benefit the entire team as a whole. That experience may prove to be a difference-maker next season if Rose returns close to form. 

Be patient, Chicago. You were patient for Jordan, so please do the same for D-Rose. Heck, this supporting cast may even be better than any that Jordan and Scottie Pippen had during their six championships. The title is coming, but it won't be this season.

The argument is simple: legitimate superstars and Hall of Famers win in the NBA playoffs. Miami has two players heading to Springfield, Mass., and Chicago currently has zero.

That seems like simple math to me.