NBA Playoffs 2011: Rose Parade In Chicago's Future?

You have all been cordially invited to the coronation of Derrick Rose. 

While the ceremony may lack the pageantry of the upcoming British royal wedding, the 2011 NBA playoffs could very well result in the same once-in-a-generation experience that millions of viewers won't soon forget.

The Chicago Bulls' Derrick Rose will be the reason for that.

It's not often that we as basketball fans get to watch a young player mature into a superstar right before our eyes. LeBron James was anointed "The Chosen One" while still wearing the green and gold of St. Vincent/St. Mary High School. 

In the blink of an eye, Kevin Durant went from a gangly rookie with the Seattle SuperSonics to a gangly superstar leading an Oklahoma City team poised to dominate the Western Conference for years to come.

In just his third season, Rose has aligned himself alongside James and Durant in that same constellation of NBA superstars. A year ago, Rose was merely one of the league's better young point guards. Today, he has staked his claim as one of the five best players in the Association.

The last time we were witness to this type of ascension, it was another Chicago native who made the NBA world take notice. Five seasons ago, Dwyane Wade wrested a seat at the league's imperial table during the Miami Heat's 2006 championship run.

Unlike those who proclaimed themselves "King" before stepping foot onto an NBA court, Derrick Rose has made—and will continue to make—his case for basketball royalty without much pomp and circumstance.

He is quiet and reserved when many of his contemporaries are boisterous and outlandish. He is an Adidas man in a league full of Nike shoe models.

Speaking of Swoosh-bearing spokesmen, many Bulls fans are hoping for Rose to be the heir apparent (or is it "Air Apparent?") to a certain shooting guard from the University of North Carolina.

The problem is, the two men couldn't be more different.

Michael Jordan is a transcendent personality, electrifying any room he walks into years after his retirement from the NBA. Rose, by all accounts, is shy and unassuming.

So despite the fact that both were blessed with an abundance of athletic ability, this iteration of the Chicago Bulls bears little resemblance to "Michael and the Jordannaires." In fact, Rose's teammates want him to be even more vocal as a leader, a role that the 22-year-old is slowly embracing.

Which is why his preseason boast of an MVP campaign caught his teammates completely by surprise.

He made the claim after an offseason in which he dedicated himself to his craft. Long summer days working on his jump shot—the major flaw in this game—led to Rose finishing with a career-best 33.2 shooting percentage from beyond the arc. 

His improved form also raised his free-throw percentage by nearly 10 points—a vital weapon in the arsenal of a man who attacks the basket with not-so-reckless abandon.

Usually, when a player becomes a more assertive scorer, the other aspects of his game suffer. That hasn't been the case with Rose, whose assists actually increased by nearly two per game.

Rose's polished offensive skills have opened up the floor for the rest of the Bulls, who have been taking full advantage of their new-found opportunities.

As Chicago's de facto leader took his game do another level, so did his team. It's no coincidence that in Rose's breakout season, the Bulls finished with 61 wins, their best mark since 1998—the last year of the Jordan era.

That, more than anything else, is the reason why the Bulls' young point guard is deserving of this year's MVP award.

Many argue that others—most notably, the Orlando Magic's Dwight Howard—are more "valuable" to their respective teams. These are the same people who point to stats such as PER and effective field goal percentage to plead their case.

While Rose's numbers this season—25 PPG, 7.7 APG, 4.1 RPG—tell a pretty convincing story themselves, one merely needs to turn on a Bulls game to fully appreciate the beauty of his play.

The explosive drives to the basket. The teardrop floaters over opposing big men. The body control usually not found in players who are listed at 6'3" in their team's media guide.

Rose is an absolute joy to watch, as Chicago fans can personally attest to these past three seasons. Perhaps it's only fitting that The City of the Big Shoulders would have one of its own bearing the expectations of the metropolis on his 190-pound frame.

There is still more work to be done before Rose is officially anointed The Once and Future King. He is well aware of that fact, and doesn't shy away from his perceived destiny.

"Yeah, I do think we can win it all this year," said Rose in a recent interview with Sports Illustrated. "How could I think any different?"

The coronation is upon us. If you are unable to attend, the ceremony will, in fact, be televised.

Long live the king.