2012 NBA Playoffs: Chicago Bulls Still an Elite Team Without Rose

As Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose took the floor at the beginning of Game 2 of the team's first-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers, an unnerving realization had officially set in over the crowd.

As you all know by now, Rose did not step onto the floor to play, instead it was to wave goodbye to his fans. The Bulls will be without the services of last season's MVP for however long their playoff run lasts.

All the talk of a title run was suddenly subdued with the tearing of Rose's ACL. Don't get me wrong, this is still a very good club that will likely make its way to the Eastern Conference finals sans Rose—they are really that good.

But that's where the ride ends.

The common argument for supporters of Rose is the Bulls can't, and won't, go far without him in the lineup.

The funny thing about that argument is throughout the season, we've seen the Bulls be just fine without him. Tom Thibodeau's defensive system has made the Bulls the ultimate "team" in the NBA.

When Rose plays, the Bulls beat their opponents by an average of 8.7 points per game. Without Rose in the lineup, the Bulls still won by an average of 7.5, according to teamrankings.com. 

The blowout loss by the Bulls in Game 2 was the result of emotional hangover due to the loss of their leader. 

The Bulls are still an elite team without Rose, but what they lose is the team's only reliable scoring option.

But when it comes to getting by their expected opponents in the Eastern Conference finals—the Miami Heat—it's no affront to say the Bulls have absolutely no chance of winning the series.

The loss of Rose is not an indictment of the coaching ability of Thibodeau or of the rest of Chicago's roster, it's an acknowledgement that a Rose for Rip Hamilton swap is not the change the Bulls needed to get by the nemesis.

LeBron James (likely the MVP) and Dwayne Wade are too much for any team to handle. It takes some harrowing defense, which the Bulls are capable of, along with game after game of clutch offensive performances.

What Rose's injury does to Chicacgo's roster is makes it devoid of a "go-to guy" on the offensive end of the floor.

Despite being paid like one, Carlos Boozer is far from being a reliable scorer and Luol Deng has struggled to maintain consistency while battling through a torn ligament in his wrist.

The Bulls will be a team to be reckoned with for years to come but, without an elite scoring option in the playoffs, this is not their year.