The Chicago Bulls may be defined by depth, defense and consistency, but don't think for one moment that they can win an NBA championship without Derrick Rose. He is the one Bulls player great teams must double- or triple-team late in games and therefore is essential to their title hopes.
It is true that Chicago can play so well without its starters that sometimes it seems the Bulls don't need them to succeed. Several games ago, Chicago blew out Orlando with Rose on the bench. The team has played without Rose, Luol Deng, Carlos Boozer, Richard Hamilton and Joakim Noah at varying times this season, sometimes successfully absorbing the loss of several team stars at one time.
Chicago goes 12-deep on the roster and their depth is what allows them to temporarily absorb the loss of a star player and not miss a beat. But jumping to the conclusion that it means the Bulls' depth gives them a championship shot without their superstar is simply wrong.
Why? Because Rose is Chicago's fearless finisher at the end of close games.
Rose is a killer-instinct superstar. He plays well in the first 45 minutes of a game, but ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NBA
Article written by Paul Grossinger
Why the Chicago Bulls Cannot Win an NBA Title Without Derrick Rose
March 27th, 2012 by Paul Grossinger Leave a reply »
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