2014 NBA Top 20: #6 Derrick Rose – the much-awaited return

Derrick Rose before the pre-season game Chicago Bulls vs. Washington Wizards at Arena HSBC on October 12, 2013 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Getty Images)

There is a meme that is doing the rounds around the dark corners of the interwebz that states that the last time Derrick Rose played an NBA game, Dallas Mavericks’ Dirk Nowitzki was the reigning MVP, LeBron James hadn’t won a ring and the Nets were still in New Jersey.

That’s how long it has been.

But it is finally time to put trolls like that – and the one about how the likes of Russell Westbrook and Kobe Bryant will return from their injuries sooner than the 2011 MVP – to bed.

For at long last, D-Rose is back.

The point guard made his long-awaited return in the Chicago Bulls pre-season opener after missing the past 17 months while recovering from knee surgery, scoring 13 points in 21 minutes in an 82-76 victory against the Indiana Pacers on 5^th October.

Rose even featured in the Bulls’ second game (scoring another 13 in 20 minutes) as they thumped the Memphis Grizzlies 106-87 on 7^th October. But the 25-year-old, who felt soreness in his surgically repaired left knee, sat out of their third pre-season game; a close-fought 83-81 victory over the Washington Wizards on 12^th October.

The Bulls’ decision to bench Rose, who missed all of last season after tearing his ACL during the playoffs in April 2012, was precautionary and it remains to be seen if he will take to the court against the Detroit Pistons on 16^th October.

But if everything goes according to plan, then come 29^th October, the Bulls will start the new season as not only stronger outfits but healthier ones. And no one will be happier than head coach Tom Thibodeau.

While Rose was rusty in his first pre-season game – his carelessness with the ball led to four turnovers – he will bring a completely new dimension to the Bulls’ offensive play (in time) this upcoming season.

That dimension will be more exciting, fast-paced attacks to the rim as well as added contributions (in terms of dimes) to his teammates. The fact that Rose will be running the floor should galvanise the Bulls roster.

The Bulls lost last year’s playoffs hero Nate Robinson – who scored 34 points in Game 4 of a first round series against the Brooklyn Nets – in the off-season to the Denver Nuggets, but have an able replacement in Jimmy Butler to ignite the spark they need when required.

Butler finished last season as one of the most-improved players in the league and is an all-action guard. The 24-year-old will be joined in the starting five by veteran forward Carlos Boozer, All-Stars Joakim Noah and Luol Deng and of course, Rose himself, who will be setting-up the plays.

In the likes of Mike Dunleavy, Taj Gibson and Kirk Hinrich, they have able support off the bench. The squad may look threadbare and injury-prone but if they can become a cohesive unit under Thibodeau’s guidance, the Bulls could be a team that packs a scary punch; a haymaker if you will.

Derrick Rose #1 of the Chicago Bulls runs a play against the Indiana Pacers on October 5, 2013 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Getty Images)

That does beg the question: how long will it take?

Because even though they snapped Miami Heat’s 27-game winning streak in the regular season, they were bundled out of the second round of the playoffs by the eventual champions, 4-1.

Throughout the 2012/13 season, the Bulls put up gritty displays and impressed with their sheer determination to pull through in the absence of their influential point guard. But when it mattered the most Thibodeau’s side struggled to set up plays and instead ended up being rather prosaic and rudimentary in their approach.

All of that has suddenly changed and will continue to do so as the season progresses. And the reason for that is Rose. Thibodeau can go back to setting up intricate yet effortless pick-and-rolls with the use of big-man Noah’s ball-handling skills (who along with Grizzlies’ Marc Gasol is the best passing centre in the league) and Rose’s speed and athleticism.

Rose is a rare breed; he isn’t your conventional point guard. He has never enjoyed shooting jumpers beyond the arc (but has since worked on that in his time out) and neither has he benefited by playing the fancy pass to an open colleague (like Minnesota Timberwolves’ Ricky Rubio does).

Rose keeps it simple in his own explosive way. He’d much rather make room for himself in a non-existent lane and drive to the basket for the tomahawk. And he’d much rather take the defender with him to the touchline and make the pass to a teammate for an open bucket, which is usually a three. Simple and effective at the same time.

In the advent of Rose’s first competitive game in the NBA season-opener against the Heat, nobody should expect the 2008 number one pick to make his career numbers of 21 PPG and 7 APG; that would be unfair on him. But in time, if Rose can average a double-double on a consistent basis, the Bulls could be this season’s surprise package.

The Bulls haven’t won a championship since the Michael Jordan – Phil Jackson era and it would be imprudent to say that this could be their year. But it wouldn’t be a costly gamble to put your money on them making it to the Eastern Conference Finals, in what is an extremely competitive division.

However in this mini-era of theirs, they have their best shot of putting behind years of disappointment. And with Rose back in the red uniform, fans have every right to believe that they could revisit past glories.

All that needs to be made sure of is that the pre-game Alan Parsons inspired Sirius theme song is played louder at the United Center.