Derrick Rose: Building Another Legacy For The Chicago Bulls
If you're not following the Chicago Bulls this year, I understand why you might be befuddled by the suggestion that Derrick Rose deserves as much as anyone to be included in the conversation for the NBA's MVP. In fact, when Derrick Rose said before their season started that he could see could see no reason why he couldn't, I came up with a small list myself.
It's not what we believe that matters though; it's what Derrick Rose believes, and his belief in himself is contagious. His team caught it first, and now it's spreading through the city. Chicago is catching Bulls fever, and Derrick Rose is ground zero.
Sure you can look at the numbers and see some pretty stalwart stats to back up the claim. He's averaging 25.7 points per game, good for third in the NBA, and his 8.1 assists are good for 9th. He and Westbrook compose the only two players who are in the top ten of both categories. You could point to the fact that is a very close second in the NBA in total stats, assists + points + rebounds. You could point out that he accounts for a higher percentage of his team's offense than any player in the NBA.
You could point to big games he's had, scoring 30 or more in seven of the 17 he's played, as many as anyone in the NBA. You could point to the fact that he's had seven or more assists in six of those games. You could point out that that he's had more 30 point, seven assist games than anyone in the league. You could point to the fact that he's had career highs in scoring and assists already this season.
You could point to the fact that he was the NBA Player of the Month for November.
Yes, you could look to the season stats and make a case for Rose as MVP. You could look to the big games he's had. You could point to the awards that have already started coming in. Truthfully though, if you want to see Rose's true value, you're not going to see it in those things.
His value to the Chicago Bulls is greatly exceeded by what he done; it's when he does it that makes him arguably the league's most valuable player. Already in this young season, Derrick Rose has led the team to two comebacks of 23 or more points, the first time in NBA history where a team has done that.
Again and again throughout the season, when the Bulls' backs have been against the wall, it's been Derrick who "rose" to the challenge. It started in the second game of the season, the Bulls' first win. With the Bulls trailing by 24, Rose took over, and, to make a long story short, put the Bulls ahead with two minutes left in the game to the chants of MVP.
Against the Celtics, in a heartbreaking loss, Rose scored or assisted on all but two of the Bulls' baskets after the 5:00 minute mark of the game.
In the next game, a win against the Nuggets, Rose scored eight points in the last 6:26, and added an assist.The Bulls only had one field goal not scored or assisted by Rose.
In Houston, with the Bulls down by five at the start of the fourth quarter, Rose decided they were going to win. He scored 17 points and dished out two assists. There was only one shot from the field that he didn't have a hand in.
In Dallas, in the fourth quarter, Rose again helped the Bulls to complete their fourth quarter comeback, either scoring or assisting on all but two of the Bulls' field goals in the final frame.
In Phoenix, Rose led another 23 point rally. Starting with the final eight minutes of the fourth quarter, playing with five fouls, Rose scored or assisted on all but three of the Bulls' field goals through two overtimes. Not only that, he sank the free throws to put it into the first overtime, and made a marvelous cutting under the rim shot, to send it into the second overtime. When the second overtime started, he scored a three point play that put the Bulls ahead for good.
In Sacremento, the Bulls rallied again, and again, all but two of the Bulls' field goals were either scored or assisted by Rose.
Then last night, in Chicago, he did it again. Rose let go of the ball from behind the three point line, and as it started its descent, the horn sounded. When it ripped through the net, Rose celebrated for a moment. Then in the overtime period, he decided to win the game. Only one field goal in the overtime wasn't aided or scored by Rose.
This is why Rose deserves to be the MVP. This is why Bulls fever is catching on in Chicago. He's building a legacy. He doesn't just make exciting plays; he makes them at exciting moments. What was so compelling to me is that entire Bulls team had this look, like they knew that if Rose could take a shot, he would make the shot. He's got that assassin mentality that Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan have; it's just that the legacy isn't there yet.
It's being built now though. Their schedule the first month and a half was borderline nefarious. Now Boozer is playing, and last night he actually played fairly well for the first time. They have two more tough games this week, but they are both at home against Oklahoma City and the Lakers. There's a trip to Cleveland sandwiched in between those two.
After that, life gets easier. Over their next 18 games, only two teams presently have winning records, the Pacers and the Knicks. Only one of those two, the New York game, is on the road. It's not a stretch to think they could win 15 of 18 over that stretch, or perhaps do even better than that.
Over that stretch, expect some more amazing stretches from Derrick Rose. Expect to see a ten game winning streak, and expect to see the Bulls stay with Boston and Orlando in the standings. All of those things are going to produce a lot more talk about Rose as MVP.
There's a reason that Chicago, a Bears town, is catching basketball fever in December, even with the Bears 9-3 and atop their division. That reason has a name, Derrick Rose. If you haven't caught it yet, be leery of Bulls games; they're contagious.
