Bulls' Derrick Rose draw Michael Jordan comparison in Stacey King's what-if scenario
01/02/2025 05:59 PM
The Chicago Bulls are holding a night to honor Derrick Rose when the team faces the New York Knicks Saturday at the United Center. Rose had a remarkable start to his career after he was drafted by the Bulls in 2008, showing off remarkable athleticism, skill, ball-handling ability and competitiveness after he was selected out of Memphis.
Rose was off to such a powerful start in his career that he won the NBA’s Most Valuable Player Award following the 2010-11 season, beating out LeBron James for the coveted honor. Rose was on his way to becoming the No. 2 player in Bulls history behind Michael Jordan when injuries derailed his career. The first of those was a torn ACL, and it was a devastating blow that never allowed Rose to regain his best form.
Bulls color analyst Stacey King observed Rose throughout his career, and he believes he could have become one of the game’s all-time greats if he had been able to remain healthy. King also believes that he would have remained with the Bulls throughout his career had his career not been ruined by multiple injuries.
"If he never goes down, he retires a Bull," King said. "If he stays healthy and on the trajectory he was going on, he's Michael Jordan."
Rose was able to dominate games
Rose came into the league as a 20-year-old point guard, playing for his hometown team in the 2008-09 season. He averaged 16.8 points and 6.3 assists as a rookie with the Bulls, connecting on 47.5 percent of his shots from the field. He demonstrated that he was a young star on the rise, starting 80 of 81 games and winning Rookie of the Year honor.
His growth continued the following year as he demonstrated improvement and averaged 20.8 points and 6.0 assists per game while knocking down 48.9 percent of his shots from the field. Rose showed the ability to get to the basket and use his athleticism and strength to get the best of his opponents.
He peaked in the 2010-11 season, averaging 25.0 points and 7.0 assists per night. While Rose was never a dominant three-point shooter, he connected on 33.2 percent of his shots from distance, a major upgrade over his first two seasons.
After that brilliant season, injuries robbed Rose of reaching his peak as a star. He still played 15 years in the league and flashed his brilliant skills for the fans to appreciate.
He played with the New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons, Minnesota Timberwolves, Memphis Grizzlies and Cleveland Cavaliers in addition to his seven seasons with the Bulls.
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