Who is Derrick Rose? D-Rose is one of the biggest “What ifs?” in NBA history. He was one of the most explosive and dominant point guards ever seen during his prime, dominating other players like Chris Paul and Stephen Curry and competing with a prime Lebron James. He seemed to have a stellar career ahead of him, but all would be cut short as he was hindered by injury.

He was drafted by his hometown team, the Bulls, as the first overall pick in the 2008 draft. Bulls’ fans were ecstatic and filled with hope as they were going through a post-Jordan era. During his rookie 08/09 season, he averaged 16.8 points per game, 6.3 assists per game, and 3.9 rebounds per game, winning Rookie of the Year on a 41-41 Bulls. They just barely made the playoffs but would lose a Game 7 in Round 1 to the Boston Celtics. Although the Bulls wouldn’t go far, the future looked bright as this was just the beginning of what D-Rose could have brought to the team.

His stats would slightly improve in the 09-10 season where he averaged 20.8 points per game, 6 assists per game, and 3.8 rebounds per game on another Bulls team that would go 41-41. They  made the playoffs again but were knocked out in Round 1, losing the series 1-4 to Lebron and the Cleveland Cavaliers.  This loss brought motivation as the Bulls now had a clear hurdle to overcome in Lebron, which would continue for seasons to come.

Then would come his MVP season, the 2010-11 season. The Bulls fired their head coach Vinny Del Negro, and signed Tom Thibodeau who would change the Bulls for the better. This season, Rose would average 25 points per game, 7.7 assists per game, and 4.1 rebounds per game, leading the Bulls to a 62-20 record, having the best record in the league, making the All-NBA First Team, and becoming the youngest MVP in NBA history at the age of 22. Rose and the Bulls would make it to the Eastern Conference Finals but would fall short to the Heat, still not being able to overcome Lebron.

During the 2011-12 season, the Bulls were looking good, having a 50-16 record and tying for the best record in the NBA. Rose was still putting up good numbers at 21 points per game, 7.9 assists per game, and 3.4 rebounds per game. The playoffs came and the Bulls played the 76ers in round 1. The game was wrapped up; it was 99-87 Bulls with 1:10 left to play in the 4th quarter. Rose was still in the game and went up for an athletic finish as he always did, but this time he ended up falling awkwardly and tearing his ACL. With this injury, the Bulls hopes to win a title were ruined. Many fans were mad that Tom Thibodeau left him in the game when the game was basically over. He would be out for the rest of the playoffs and the entirety of the 2012-13 season.

When he returned in the 2013/14 season, he wasn’t the same. He wasn’t as explosive as he used to be, although he was still a good player. He put up 15.9 points per game, 4.3 assists per game, and 2.3 rebounds per game. The Bulls made the playoffs at 48-34 but, yet again, lost in the First Round. Eventually, the Bulls would make the playoffs again during the 2014/15 season but lose in the Second Round to Lebron and the Cavaliers. In the 2015/16 season, the Bulls would fail to make the playoffs, and this would mark the end of Rose’s time with the Bulls. On June 22, 2016, he was traded to the Knicks and from this point on he would never reach that prime status he once had, as he continued to have problems with his knees.

Overall, Derrick Rose was speculated to have a stellar career and become one of the best point guards, but because of injuries this wouldn’t happen. People remember him in his first couple years in the league as being unguardable and has earned praise from some of the greatest players. To this day, he is still one of the most respected players, as people know what he could have been.

Work Cited

• Ashburner, Steve. (2022) “How Derrick Rose evolved from youngest MVP to bench veteran” Available at: https://www.nba.com/news/derrick-rose-back-in-chicago
• Basketball-Reference Statistics. Available at: https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/r/rosede01.html
• CracksJr30 “When Derrick Rose was unguardable”. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCDDSP-cygs
• Martin, Josh (2013) “Complete Timeline of Derrick Rose Injury Speculation” Available at: https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1528627-complete-timeline-of-derrick-rose-injury-speculation