Derrick Rose (pictured above) put on another stellar performance last night in leading the Bulls to a huge victory over the Celtics. Is it now championship or bust in Chicago?
Wesley is a sports expert and journalist out of Philadelphia that writes for Bleacher Report. You can check out all of his work at http://bleacherreport.com/users/88810-wesley-kaminsky or follow his twitter @Wesley_Kaminsky
Did I think they would get the number one seed? No.
Did I think they could possibly come out of the Eastern Conference? Nope.
Still though, I could not wait for the season to start, and to continue to see the growth out of soon to be MVP Derrick Rose. What is my reasoning for not believing the Bulls could not win the East this season? Well, since you asked, here it goes.
Like many fans during the off-season I had my sights set on the Bulls getting the ultimate prize, LeBron James. I thought he would be crazy not to come to Chicago to team up with Derrick Rose, Luol Deng, and Joakim Noah. The same was true for Dwyane Wade, who toyed with the idea of coming to the Bulls, getting my hopes up, only to have them shot when he decided to stay with the Heat, and have Chris Bosh join him. Soon after that, LeBron made his infamous “Decision,” where he “took his talents to South Beach,” leaving fans all around the NBA enraged.
I shared that anger, and my focus immediately turned to the Bulls. How on earth could they compete in the Eastern Conference with LeBron James and Dwyane Wade on the same team? Oh yeah, and how could they compete with the Celtics, and even the Magic? My hopes of winning championships was ruined in my mind, and I was devastated. I thought there was no way the Bulls could win a championship any time soon as long as LeBron and Wade were healthy. I have no been so happy to be proven wrong. Without landing a superstar, John Paxson and Gar Forman put together a team that could compete for an NBA championship. The Bulls didn’t need to sign a superstar, they already had one in Derrick Rose. The first thing the Bulls did was address their long time need for a low post threat by signing Carlos Boozer. However, it was not just Boozer himself who made such an impact. It’s the other guys. These are players like Keith Bogans, Ronnie Brewer, Kyle Korver, C.J. Watson, Kurt Thomas, and Omer Asik. Each and every one of these players was brought in for a reason, and they are playing their roles perfectly.
I have stuck with the Bulls for as long as I have liked basketball. I was too young to enjoy the Bulls winning championships with Jordan, and started to become a huge fan at the worst time. From the time when Jordan retired up until right now, it had been a constant struggle for the Bulls. I had been through it all, from the Tim Floyd era to the Jalen Rose era. I never got to experience the joy of seeing them compete for an NBA championship. Heck, I’ve only seen them win one playoff series, when they swept the Heat 4-0, and I loved every minute of it. Don’t even get me started on the epic seven game series against the Celtics.
Finally though, over ten years later, the Bulls are relevant again thanks to this guy by the name of Derrick Rose. Ever hear of him? In just his third season in the NBA, Rose has not only become the best point guard in basketball, but one of the best players. He has improved every year he has been in the league, and is on his way to helping the Bulls earn the number one seed in the East. If Rose doesn’t win MVP this season, I will send David Stern a letter myself.
With the regular season coming to a close, and the Bulls as the number one seed in the East, is it championship or bust? If you ask Derrick Rose or Tom Thibodeau they will tell you yes, and why shouldn’t they? The Bulls have overcome so much this season and have proven they can play with the best of the NBA. They do not fear anybody, and you can guarantee that Rose will be disappointed with anything less than an NBA championship.
In the beginning of the season Derrick Rose asked why he couldn’t be the MVP, and the best player in the league. He is proving all the doubters wrong, and backing up his statements.
Chicago Bulls basketball is back, and I could not be anymore excited.
Stay tuned for the next edition of TheSportsKraze.
-TheSportsKraze
TheSportsKraze 
Derrick Rose – great player, and clearly the MVP in this league. But aside from that, isn’t it possible that the Bulls are a #1 seed through default? The Celtics imploded, the Heat can’t beat a good team, the Magic are really a one-trick pony and nobody else in the East was ever a contender for the top spot.
JW,
You are right that some teams have defaulted in a way. But Chicago has overcome numerous injuries and really taken that next step. Winning 58 games is no fluke..
-TheSportsKraze
Bulls number one seed by default? Give me a break. Boozer and Noah have only played together for 25 games! The East is so good, from the Heat, Celtics, and Magic. Don’t give me this number one by default.