The topic of Derrick Rose is highly intriguing. He is the Bulls’ highest paid star and one of the faces of Chicago’s sports climate during this second decade of the second millennium.  By and large, most of the country and many within Chicago feel that the Bulls’ are simply waiting on the return of a healthy Rose and then the Bulls will immediately move into the mode of “contender.”  Is this assertion truly the case?

Derrick Rose has not played very many games since he won his MVP trophy in what now seems like ages ago. In the years after winning the MVP, he played essentially a half of a season’s worth of games because of a bad back, and then he missed a year because of his bad knee (although he could have played at the end of the year — he was cleared to play), and then he played a few games in 2014 before hurting his other knew, and then …. well, you know this story well or you wouldn’t be reading this.

The question many fans ponder regarding D Rose is whether or not he’ll return to his pre-injury self and dominate the league. The problem I have with this statement is that it somehow assumes that the Rose that played before the injury was good enough to win a championship. Many will say that he had no supporting “cast” in order to win a championship. If true, then one must also ask, did his sometimes habit of dribbling the ball down the court and shooting it without passing the ball help a cast that already had limited offensive ability? If one is bad at shooting, never touching the ball for minutes on end (of playing time) will hardly help one shoot better.  The other problem I have with this is that in his time off, did he mature in his game enough to learn how to play with teammates that can shoot. This year he will have a Noah that is far better than he was 3 or 4 years ago, and far better talent surrounding him. Does he know *how* to lead a team?

The other question many fans wonder is if he can stay healthy. Can he? Maybe you believe the knee injuries were both freak accidents, but if you believe that, what do you say about his back, his neck, his ankles — all injured at times. For one to play at 6 feet tall and want to play above the rim, one needs to be able to take a pounding. Can he take a pounding? Given that he has bionic knees at this point, can they handle 82 games, or 55 games and playoffs? Additionally, if he can’t play that way, does he know how to play a game that involves less moves to the basket and more floaters, pull-up jumpers, more fade-aways, etc.?  Most NBA star players come into the league and dominate based on their athleticism — the wonders of a youthful, strong, body! With time, most starts evolve into a smarter NBA player that involves a better understanding of how to win, how to last 82 games, how to better defend, and well …. mature! Of course, with Thibs, is this possible?

One only need to look to another Bull — MJ! The “air-Jordan” days only lasted a few years before the Celtics and Pistons (and Phil and the coaches) made him realize he had to adapt to the NBA in order to win. The same can be said of Kobe and LeBron.

The injuries have not only kept him off the court, they have kept him from maturing and working with his teammates. Can his teammates adjust to his style of play? With many new additions to the Bulls this year, it will take time for them to play as a “unit,” anyway and Thibs will have to learn how to handle his rotations and what works at what times, so maybe this is the perfect year to return.

With Rose away, the aforementioned maturity of LeBron has turned LeBron into a proven winner. For that matter, Kevin Durant is getting closer to that understanding, as well (I think.)  So, is Rose going to come back to his pre-injury ability to play basketball? I don’t know the answer to that — we will see if he can stay healthy. However, the bigger question remains, is getting back to his former self enough for the Bulls and Bulls’ fans to get excited about his return? I think the real questions should be, “Can D Rose come back from his injuries and be better than he has ever been. Can he develop into  a mature player, a good point guard, and a team leader that knows how to win in the NBA?”

More importantly, can he lead a team better than LeBron, who now sits in his own division? He never beat LeBron before. LeBron has a good supporting cast. LeBron knows how to win. LeBron’s game has improved mightily since Derrick Rose’s injuries began.  So…. I’m not sure anyone can honestly say the Bulls are a contender. I have my doubts.

Worse, if Rose gets injured again or just never raises his game to a championship level — will he end up being one of the biggest deterrents to a Chicago Bulls’ championship, given his contract and lack of production? Is he a star, or will he be a reason they never won? We will find out soon enough, won’t we?