NBA Rewind: MVP Rose
The hometown kid. Derrick Rose became the youngest MVP in league history during the 2010-2011 season. His explosiveness and ability to finish through contact made him a pioneer of the modern day, scoring guard. We’ll look back at D Rose’s illustrious season and how he paved the way for others in his position.
The League in 2010
Rewind back to 2010-2011.
The Lakers entered the season as reigning back to back NBA Champions. Kobe Bryant proved to the league that he was still the King of the Hill. In the East, the Celtics were a force to be reckoned with. This was the year of The Decision.
The Cavaliers had no chance of beating the Boston Celtics, even with a healthy LeBron James. It was clear...Cleveland had little to no shot of retaining the Superstar player. Teams around the league clamored over the order of which they could pitch their organizations to LeBron.
In the weeks before The Decision, LeBron visited with six organizations
New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks, Miami Heat
Los Angeles Clippers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls were finalists in the LeBron sweepstakes. Rose was young, but that did not stop him from trying to lure [Wade, Bosh, LeBron] to the Windy City.
Here’s Rose discussing this topic in an interview during his tenure with the Cleveland Cavaliers:
"Oh yeah, yeah, I tried," Rose said after shoot around Tuesday. "People always said that I didn't recruit. I tried to recruit. I put out the video, but it wasn't for me to say that. I felt like it was for the organization to say that."
Instead, the Big 3 of Bosh, Wade and Bron decided to create the Heatles in Miami...the rest is history. Chicago missed out on free agent acquisitions, but Derrick Rose seemed determined to take the next step, with or without a running mate.
After going 41-41 the previous season, the Chicago Bulls finished with the No. 1 overall record in the NBA (2010-2011) going 62-20. A 22 year old Derrick Rose outplayed the best players in the world, night in and night out. D Rose is a Chicago born kid who played college hoops in Memphis. If anyone had a fearless mentality, it was him.
Derrick Rose took the league by storm, he was the best show in sports. If a defender decided to jump, he would bury them in a casket...making sure they would end up on the lock screen of a phone.
Goran Dragic has firsthand knowledge of the Derrick Rose Experience. The crime committed by Rose should be punishable by death. Goran was in the wrong place, at the wrong time. To accentuate the play, the call was fantastic.
Photo From: ESPN
MVP Season
Derrick Rose came into the NBA before the three point shooting era. He was a predominantly driving guard, with a streaky shot. Even with inconsistent shooting, Derrick Rose became only the second Chicago Bull to average 25 points and 7 assists in a season, joining Michael Jordan.
Maybe the most impressive feat made by Rose this season was dealing with team injuries. Arguably the Bulls’ second and third best players (Carlos Boozer & Joakim Noah) combined to miss 57 games this season.
The best win of the season was an away game in Milwaukee. The game came down to the final seconds, Derrick was dribbling the clock out to try and end the game on a buzzer beating shot. As time winded down, the local Milwaukee announcer began to talk shit, saying in a condescending tone, “Oh, he’s gonna pull up for a jumper eh?”.
Nothing but net.
Photo From: CBS Chicago - CBS Local
That’s a hell of a way to shut somebody up. This game was a microcosm of the entire season. Derrick Rose was constantly belittled and taken for granted by the media. His year to year progression was astounding.
Rose proved he was a great regular season player, but how would he fare in the playoffs?
2011 Playoffs
The Bulls faced the 8 seed Pacers in the First Round of the 2011 Playoffs. The Pacers were tough and well coached behind defensive minded Frank Vogel. Their starting lineup was composed of Danny Granger, Tyler Hansborough, Darren Collison, Roy Hibbert and Paul George.
They were no match for Chicago. This was the season before Paul George’s breakout year, Danny Granger held the best player mantle in Indiana.
The Pacers had trouble finding consistent scorers down the stretch, the Bulls had no such problem. Derrick averaged 27 & 7 as the Bulls quickly dismantled the Pacers. In a closeout Game 5, Rose finished with a +/- of +26, the largest he’s had that season. His acrobatic layups and never before seen hang time was on display for the world to witness, he was going to be the next face of the league.
Photo From: ESPN
In the 2nd round, the Bulls faced Atlanta in a grueling 6 games series. The Hawks had veterans, and knew how to play team basketball. Every great player needs good teammates in order to win, the Bulls role players showed up.
The turning point of this series was in Game 3. After splitting the first two games, the Bulls traveled to Atlanta. Their backs were against the walls in a hostile arena.
What did Rose do?
Served them boys a 44 piece chicken platter. The Bulls won by 17. There’s a point in each series when both teams come to an unspoken realization. Either you have the best player in the series, or you don’t.
Derrick Rose left no argument to be made. He was the top dog in this matchup.
Clash with the Heatles
This is a prime example of how much can change in a year. Prior to the season, Chicago fans were beginning to envision a Derrick Rose - LeBron James fast break.
Instead, their franchise player was pitted against the juggernaut Miami Heat...with the winner earning a ticket to the NBA Finals. This series only went 5 games, but the box score does not give it justice. The Chicago Bulls gave Miami a run for their money, choosing to be physical and aggressive, rather than cower to their competitor.
Chicago was able to steal Game 1 of the series. Derrick Rose put up 28 to temporarily retain home court from the Heat. This effort was no Iverson game, but individual plays that Rose made rivaled that of the Hall of Fame Point Guard.
Pour one out for Joel Anthony…one of the first, in a long line of victims who had experienced Rose’s athleticism.
Photo From: WallpaperSafari
D Rose Impact
My last great pantheon memory of D Rose was the X-Mas game. In 2014, Chicago went to Staples to face the Lakers on Christmas. This game was filled with tough shot making from both teams stars. In the waning seconds of the game, Kobe hit a fadeaway jumper to give the Lakers the lead.
Everybody in Staples Center knew who was getting the ball. With 20.7 seconds remaining on the game clock, the Bulls inbounded the ball to Rose. They were down 1 (87-86).
Rose dribbled the ball at the top of the key for what seemed like an eternity. Then he made his move. A quick outside - inside cross allowed him to get past Derek Fisher, to the nail. Once there, a hard plant sprung him into the air as he effortlessly floated in the game winner.
Before Derrick, the point guard position was comprised of mainly pass first guards, who were not the No. 1 scoring option on the team. True point guards like Steve Nash, Chris Paul, Jason Kidd and Rajon Rondo were flourishing in this era. Rose broke the mold. He became the first point guard who welcomed contact, rather than shying away from it. Back then, having a point guard as your Number 1 option was deemed irresponsible.
After Rose was drafted, the league seemed to flood with copy cats. Point Guards like John Wall, Damian Lillard, Russell Westbrook and Kyrie Irving were able to play comfortably as themselves, knowing their style of play could translate to the league.
Knicks Part 2
Derrick Rose was a vital piece to the 2020-2021 New York Knicks. His leadership skills could be seen through the play of the young guards (Immanuel Quickley & RJ Barrett). At times, he even became the Knicks’ No. 1 option. D Rose still has gas in the tank, but the light will turn on soon.
Derrick Rose will always be an icon in my generation. Personally, I wore his shoes in middle school, I wanted to play like Rose. My shot wasn’t developed and I was undersized. To make matters worse, I played with my older brothers’ friends. I needed to find ways to get my shot off without being blocked, Rose’s double clutches were a god send.
The NBA Hall of Fame is easier to get into than the Capitol Building of the United States of America…
With that being said, give Rose his flowers. When it’s all said and done, Rose should be sporting a jacket.
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Preesh!
End Note: Thibs…you were up double digits, why leave Rose in the game?