Top 5 Chicago Sports Stories In 2014
Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls return to prominence
We all know the story about Derrick Rose playing just ten games in two seasons. We all heard the jokes about Jesus’ return would come before Rose’s. Well, so did Rose.
Rose rehabbed his knee and played on team USA as they won the gold in the FIFA World Cup. He came into the season ready to shut the critics up. He knows the questions about his health are always going to be asked until he shows it on the court. “I’m always going to have to answer that question the rest of my career, so I’m not worried about that. For Bulls fans I can sit here and say a million times that I’ll be fine, but the only way to answer all the critics and everyone asking about me is to actually be on the court and actually play.”
Before Rose could have a chance to help the Bulls win, the team had to undergo a facelift. That’s where John Paxson and Gar Forman came in.
The Bulls’ front office was busy over the summer. They made signing Carmelo Anthony a priority and went after him, hard. He ultimately decided to take the New York Knicks’ money and spurned the Bulls.
That rejection may have been the best thing to happen to the Bulls. They immediately went to Plan B, signing Pau Gasol. They did, and it couldn’t have turned out better.
The Bulls also went overseas and bought out Nikola Mirotic’s contract and brought him over. Also, in a move that was very underrated, the team signed Aaron Brooks.
What those signings did was to set the Bulls up for success. They changed a pedestrian offense that ranked last a season ago into a top ten offense in both scoring and efficiency. Add in a healthy Rose, and the Bulls have firepower now to go with their defense.
One big help to the team has been the play of Jimmy Butler. Butler has played like he is on a mission. He rejected a contract extension in October, and bet on himself to earn a max contract. He is doing just that, leading the team in scoring, steals and minutes. So far it looks as if he will win that bet. In either case, the Bulls need to be the team to pay off that bet.
After a bit of a slow start due to injuries to just about everyone, the Bulls are now hitting their stride. They are actually favorites in some eyes to win the Eastern Conference.
Rose has suffered some minor injuries, but has been relatively intact. He started out slow, trying to accommodate his new team, but as the season has worn on, he is getting more aggressive, and is starting to get his swag back.
The Bulls have won six of their last seven games, and their last four. Three of those are against teams ahead of them — the Memphis Grizzlies, the Toronto Raptors and the Washington Wizards.
For the season, Rose is averaging 17.9 points a game. In his last six games, however, he is averaging 22.7 points, putting more of his hand prints on the team. What’s more encouraging is that in his last two games, he has taken over the fourth quarter and led his team to victory.
People are seeing more of the old Derrick Rose, and in turn, more of what they wanted to see from the Chicago Bulls.
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