Roseless

The biggest basketball news over the weekend was the loss of Derrick Rose for the season and into next season.  While this is disappointing and severely reduces the Bulls chances of a championship, I am strangely excited about the opportunity for the Bulls to show how good they can be even without the reigning MVP.  I'm probably in denial, but I'm still excited to see what they can do.  If they can continue to win in the post season they have the chance to be one of my all time favorite teams; winning with defense, hustle, and a deep bench.  I can't remember a team with a bench as deep.

Should Rose have been out there?
The biggest question was did Rose have to be out there and the answer is no.  With a 12 point lead with about 90 seconds left, the game was in pencil in the win column.  The 76ers had come back a little and momentum can change fast, but this game was probably over.  However, I'm with Coach Thibs on this one.  (BTW check out this article about him that was sent to me by my friend Art about Coach Thibs).  Rose did not have to be out there, but I'm okay with the judgment call of leaving him out there to finish the game.   Over the course of the season, Thibs has left players in too long in my opinion.  I would have like to see Thibs use the bench more often to see if the bench could carry the Bulls the rest of the way in some blowout victories.  In this situation, however I probably would have done the same for multiple reasons.  One, this is the playoffs and you want to ensure the victory, it would have been inexcusable to let the 76ers steal this game at home in the last minute.  Two, this is the playoffs and you don't want the other team carrying any positive momentum into the next game if they are able to get a few steals or if they are able to get a few more shots to fall.  Stuff like that can sometimes carry over into the next game.  Three, Derrick came in late in the 4th quarter and had not been in unusually long.  Coach Thibs has played his guys with a philosophy  to ensure each and every victory.  He's created a culture where losses seem unusual and nearly catastrophic.  When the Bulls lose, it seemed as though an intervention is necessary.  There must be something wrong with this team and it couldn't just be an off night.  If you didn't like Rose being out there, then you should be prepared to surrender the title of best record in the NBA for the past two seasons.

How far can they go?
I still expect this team can go as far as I originally predicted, the Eastern Conference Finals.  They have won all season with different guys stepping up.  While the regular season and the post season are definitely two different animals, I still believe they can get past the 76ers and Celtics/Hawks.  The 76ers are already one game down and as long as the Bulls defense is solid, I believe they can produce enough offense (maybe with messy possessions and Joakim Noah tips) to get past the 76ers.  I think the Hawks are too unreliable to count on.  The Celtics would be the most dangerous match up, but if the Bulls can contain Rondo and Allen I think they can move past them.  A Celtics-Bulls match up would be interesting parallel to the 2009 playoffs where a Garnett-less Celtic team took on a full strength Bulls team.  In a matchup versus Miami, the Heat clearly have the advantage and would be heavily favored to win however the Bulls do have a few things going for them.  All the pressure would be on the Heat to win.  With Rose out of the picture and the Heat have no excuse not to get to the Finals and win.  The Bulls have no pressure on them now.  They can play loose because there are no expectations and a team without anything to lose is very dangerous.

Who steps up?
Very simply everyone will have to, but specifically it will have to be Watson and Deng.  Watson will have to be the player we saw glimpses of last year, a player who yearns to play 40 minutes because he believes he can play 40 minutes better than 4 minutes.  Last year, CJ seemed to play well when given more time.  This year, he has gotten more time than he knows what to do with, but has seemed lately to get lost out there, seemingly pounding the ball into the ground.  He has to be the guy that's a legit offensive threat to have breakout 20-30 point games if you don't attend to him.  Deng simply has to step up and carry this team on his back.  This is his team now and he has to show that he can get it done when it counts.  The front line will need to have monster games on the board and Lucas and Korver will need to provide that instant offense.

The biggest question now is who step up in winning time.  I don't know if I have an answer for that, but I'm strangely excited to find out.  My favorite basketball teams win with smart play, defense, and effort.  That is what I'm hoping to see in the Bulls; to prove these qualities win championships and can overcome superior talent.