The news of Rose's latest injury is past the point of disappointing; it's downright sad. This is a guy who has given everything he has to his teammates, to coach Tom Thibodeau, to the Bulls organization, and even to the city of Chicago. Rose provided a spark for a ball club that was in shambles following the break-up of one of the best teams to ever play. After Jordan and Co. were gone, the Bulls were a laughing stock. It took several years to rebuild but after the Bulls drafted Joakim Noah in 2007 and Derrick Rose in 2008, the future looked bright. That's not to say that the Bulls are going to go into yet another rebuilding phase right this second, but it's becoming more and more of a sure thing in the near future.
| Rose left on crutches last night: a worrisome sight |
Now let's get this straight, a torn meniscus is not a career-ending injury. Russell Westbrook has made it back and looks the same as he did last season. However, Rose now has two bad knees and is now sitting out while his fellow teammates Carlos Boozer and Luol Deng look to be playing their last season in red, white, and black. Throw in the fact that Joakim Noah's health is always a concern and the fact that Kirk Hinrich's career is near it's end and the once-dominant Bulls team just doesn't seem to be the same.
Yet DRose's injury is not to blame for what is to come in the season whether it be good or bad. The Bulls failed to put together a good, solid bench and don't look like a team that could take on the Miami Heat or Indiana Pacers in a seven game series. Could they beat those two teams during the regular season? Absolutely. But when it comes to the playoffs and things are ramped up, you can't win with the seven-man rotation that the Bulls currently have. Teams like Miami and Indiana have great depth and veteran depth at that. The Bulls bench consists of rookies Tony Snell and Erik Murphy, an aging Nazr Mohammed, along with a still-inexperienced Marquis Teague who, now that Rose is out, may be able to gain experience through boosted playing time. However, this team, though a top three team in the East, continually shows flashes of dysfunction.
With all of this in mind, I'm a positive kid. What we have seen from the Bulls so far this year, though inconsistent, is not hard to live with. While they could improve on both sides of the ball, I do believe that guys like Luol Deng and Carlos Boozer are playing as good of basketball as they ever have in a Bulls uniform. It's obviously early in the season and there is still PLENTY of basketball yet to be played. But there is no hiding the fact that the years of contention that this Bulls team can play are dwindling simply due to age and free agency. They aren't done yet by any means, but I'm afraid this little run may come to a close quicker than Bulls fans would like.
Side note: For those that have taken to social media and laughed at Derrick Rose and made jokes about his injury, I feel incredibly sorry for you. That shows a lack of not only maturity but character as well. I don't care who it is or what team they play for, you don't laugh about an injury. Period. I don't like the Miami Heat or the Indiana Pacers but I can guarantee you that if LeBron James or Paul George went down with a serious injury I would be just as concerned for them as I am currently for Rose. What those of you that are making light of DRose's injury fail to understand is that there comes a time when your favorite team doesn't matter. Like him or not, Derrick Rose is good for the NBA. He handles himself with class and provides excitement and competition for the league the same way LeBron and George do. Don't just be a fan of your team, be a fan of the game. So before you start cracking jokes about "The Return" or saying that Rose is going to sit out till 2015, I suggest you look in the mirror because you're as inhumane as anyone if you're going to root for somebody to get hurt.
No comments:
Post a Comment