NBA Chicago Bulls

Chicago Bulls Need An Elite Derrick Rose To Win NBA Title

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By @thepackersguru

David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

Until Thursday night’s 104-81 win over the San Antonio Spurs, the Chicago Bulls had been struggling. They had lost six of eight games and were falling behind the Atlanta Hawks, Washington Wizards and Toronto Raptors in the NBA‘s Eastern Conference.

Last night that Bulls put to bed any doubts that they can still compete with the league’s elite after knocking off the defending champions. And there shouldn’t be any more doubt going forward for one reason: Derrick Rose is back.

The Bulls needed a big game from their star player to end their losing skid and that’s exactly what they got. Rose poured in 22 points and hit on 9-of-16 shots from the field, including 2-of-4 from three-point range. He also looked explosive and more like his old self than I’ve seen in a long time, and he did it in just 27 minutes.

However, the trend of Rose playing better began before last night. In his last five games, the former No. 1 pick is averaging 24.8 points per game. He is shooting 48 percent from the field and averaging 6.4 assists compared to just 1.8 turnovers.

Rose is also shooting a high percentage from beyond the arc. In his last five games, he has hit on 55 percent of his threes. For the season, he is at just 31 percent, but his improved shooting of late and his increased playmaking may be indications that he is finally getting his legs back under him.

Furthermore, there was a report from the Chicago Tribune on Jan. 22 that Rose is now cleared to play extended minutes after averaging just 29.5 minutes per night so far this season. These are all good signs not just for Rose but for the Bulls too.

Some have said that the Bulls are still a player away from being a championship team, but I disagree — at least in a sense. They are a player away, but the player they need is already on the roster; he just needs to continue to rediscover himself.

If Rose can be even 90 percent of the player he was when he won the NBA MVP, the Bulls can definitely win the NBA title this season. That’s especially true with all of the talent surrounding Rose now.

The Bulls didn’t have a low-post scorer like Pau Gasol or an elite two-way player on the perimeter in Jimmy Butler back in 2011. Well, they do now and they have as much depth as any team in pro basketball when healthy.

The Bulls are only going to go as far as Rose takes them this season. They have all the other pieces in place; they just need him to be a star. The bottom line is, if they are going to win an NBA championship in 2015, he will need to be their best player; and if his recent play is a sign of things to come, the day when that statement is true again is much closer than you think.

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