The Rise
MIAMI — 10 years ago marked the anniversary of LeBron James NBA debut with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He walked onto the Cavaliers court with a straight face ready to live up to all the hype, but that wasn’t the talk of the night. It was the return of Derrick Rose after sitting out all of last season because of a torn ACL suffered in the 2012 Playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks.
There was some criticism on why Rose didn’t return near the end of the 2012-13 season because the Bulls doctors cleared him. “I am physically ready but not 100% mentally yet,” Rose said before the Bulls first playoff game last season. But Rose ignored the critics by focusing on the rehabilitation of his knee and preparing for the 2013-14 season.
After a great pre- season, Rose seemed to be back to his MVP form. His vertical jump increased by 5 inches and he shot 44 percent from a three-point range in the pre-season. This may be true, but all this talk meant nothing until Rose stepped back onto the court in the regular season.
The stage was set and it couldn’t be more perfect. Derrick Rose, the hero, flying his Bulls team to South Beach to face off against arch-nemesis LeBron James and the Miami Heat. Rose was ready to emerge from the dark-shadows of the spotlight King James had cast upon him. Unfortunately that wasn’t the case.
The Heat raised the banners of their previous championship from the year before in their pre- game ceremony. But they left that season in the past, and began their quest for a three-peat on Oct. 29. The Heat came out firing on all cylinders, sharing the ball well and playing just like the defending champions should. They defeated the Bulls by a score of 107-95, holding Rose to only 12 points (4-15 FG) and forcing him to 5 turnovers. The scary thing was, LeBron was quiet, scoring only 17 points (5-11 FG) but still led the Heat in scoring.
The big three were working together, Chris Bosh scored 16 (6-11 FG), and Dwayne Wade added in 13 (5-13). The bench also pitched in with 42 points. That meant that this team isn’t a one-man show and that they are definitely a force to be reckoned with in the Eastern Conference yet again.
A couple of bright spots shined for the Bulls, such as the athletic and aggressive play of Carlos Boozer. Boozer led all scorers with 31 points (13-18 FG) and 7 rebounds. While shooting guard Jimmy Butler, added in 20 points (6-12 FG) along with 5 steals.
The Bulls rebounded in their home-opener with the New York Knicks on Halloween Night, thanks to late game heroics by the doubted Rose. The Knicks led 81-80 with 10 seconds left on the clock. Rose drove to the right, being closed in on by 7-foot Tyson Chandler; Rose faded to the right and tossed a one handed 15-foot floater over Chandler. Swoosh, the United Center exploded with applause as the Bulls defeated the Knicks 82-81 bringing them to a 1-1 record (as of press time.)
Many questions are left unanswered for the Bulls heading into the rest of the season. Is Derrick Rose mentally ready? Can anybody dethrone the Heat?
The answer to these questions only will come with time, so buckle down people it’s a new season in the NBA and the road to the Finals begins now.