LeBron James has returned to his Cleveland kingdom to right the wrongs of the past with a new and intimidating collection of talent. The San Antonio Spurs are reigning champions and still as deep and dangerous as ever. But what about the Chicago Bulls? It feels like no team in the NBA has a higher ceiling or a lower floor than the Bulls.
Chicago's ultimate success hinges on the health and effectiveness of Derrick Rose. Two major knee injuries and only 49 games played since 2011 peg Rose as a major question mark. But the pieces around Rose could elevate this team to new heights, should the point guard regain some of his former MVP self.
"Be aware, the Chicago Bulls have the best talent they've had on their team around Derrick Rose since he's been there," former NBA coach George Karl wrote. "Joakim Noah made a major step forward as a big-time player and a leader of that team. I think Doug McDermott is going to be perfect for that roster. Pau Gasol will figure out how to help them win games. Their team has more talent - 'winning championships talent' instead of just 'winning basketball games' talent - than they ever had before."
"There's also Taj Gibson and Nikola Mirotic, who was one of the best players in Europe - not just one of the best young players in Europe, but one of the best players in Europe period - coming over this year," ESPN Insider Chad Ford wrote. "He shot 46 percent from 3-point range as a stretch 4. And the Bulls have needed shooting. I think it complements Rose's game; they've struggled with that the past couple of seasons."
The Bulls tasted post-Jordan success ever so briefly with Rose before injuries derailed championship aspirations. Chicago finished first in the Eastern Conference in back-to-back years before a torn ACL suffered in the 2011-2012 playoffs sidelined Rose. What was shaping up to be an incredible career was quickly put in serious jeopardy while the Bulls were placed in basketball limbo, not quite going all in for a championship, but not completely cashing out either. A torn meniscus in the other knee suffered just 10 games into last season further complicated the situation.
But now, Rose is back, and the team has added weapons around him. The question is, will he be the same Derrick Rose?
"You watch Rose in the FIBA Basketball World Cup and you saw the good news -- that he has some of his explosiveness back, some of his quickness back," Ford wrote. "The bad news -- his game was clearly rusty. He was struggling to finish around the rim; he was struggling to shoot the basketball. There's going to be some rust that's going to have to come off, which is natural for a guy who hasn't played in the past two years. I think the great news for Rose: it's not going to all fall on his shoulders like it did in the past years, just as Coach said. That Bulls team is incredibly deep and incredibly talented."
Before the injuries, Rose was the only consistent offensive option for the Bulls. Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah helped out some, but neither could carry the load when Rose sat. With a supporting cast that now features several offensively capable players, Rose will have the luxury of easing back into the NBA. This could prove to be the defining factor in Chicago's post-season hopes.
"I think that takes some of the pressure off Rose to have to carry this team every night," Ford wrote. "We might see a Rose who becomes more of a distributor, more of a leader on the floor but not the guy who has to carry his team to victory every night. Maybe because of that, that gives Rose some space to get that rust off...I think the Bulls are now legitimate title contenders."
