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NBA Playoff Picture: 3 Reasons Derrick Rose Just Made Bulls NBA Finals Favorites

By Charles Rahrig V

Feb 20, 2015; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose (1) during the fourth quarter against the Detroit Pistons at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 20, 2015; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose (1) during the fourth quarter against the Detroit Pistons at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports /
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Derrick Rose returned to the playoffs with a bang Saturday night, and the Chicago Bulls look like serious contenders.

Suddenly, the Chicago Bulls look like the most dangerous team in the NBA Playoffs.

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Derrick Rose made his first return to a playoff game since 2012 and not only did he return, he made a statement on the court and the Chicago Bulls put the rest of the league on notice.

The Bulls used their experience and depth to pummel the Milwaukee Bucks, who held on for a while and kept fighting but were far too outmatched by the superior Bulls.

The Bulls set the tone with physicality early, as players like Taj Gibson, Joakim Noah and Pau Gasol pounded the Bucks inside. The younger Bucks, most of them new to the playoffs, had no answer for the physical level of play that happens in the postseason.

With the huge return of Derrick Rose and the Bulls finding a strong level of chemistry, they are now not just contenders to win the Eastern Conference, they are contenders to win the NBA Championship.

Here are three reasons why the return of Derrick Rose just made the Chicago Bulls NBA Finals favorites:

1. He’s Back, Probably For Good This Time

No, not the Derrick Rose we’ve seen the last couple of years battle through various knee injuries. This was the 2011 MVP, putting on a show. This was the former rookie, who in his first postseason game ever in 2009 dropped 36 points on the Boston Celtics.

All night, Rose looked like his MVP form as he drove to the hoop with authority and blew past defenders displaying a level of explosiveness that hadn’t been seen out of Rose since he returned from the various knee injuries he’s had over the last couple of years.

It all got started right away in the first quarter as Derrick Rose split Michael Carter-Williams and Ersan Ilyasova on his way to the hoop. He caught the two Bucks defenders flat-footed and both had no answer as he went right between them and went up for the impressive layup.

That’s 2011 Rose right there doing his thing and making defenders look absolutely silly. When Rose is healthy, their aren’t many players in the game who can get to the hoop with as much ease as him.

Not only he is explosive either, he has the ability to make the ludicrous, ridiculous, oh my god did he just make that shot.

A lot like this reverse he made after blowing right past Carter-Williams on his way to the basket.

He’s back everyone and the league is about to become his personal playground. Everyone is officially on notice.

2. Rose Brings Team and Fan Energy to Insane Levels

Having a player like Rose back suddenly makes the rest of the Bulls players jobs easier. The momentum of having their leader back on the court not only makes the Bulls players get into it, it causes the fans to lose their collective minds in the stands as well.

The players are fired up as they dive for loose balls, fight for rebounds and doing all the little things that need to be done to win basketball games.

With the increased energy, the team isn’t afraid to get physical and get after it. The Bulls have never been afraid to get physical and pop anyone in the jaw, but with the emotion of having No. 1 back on the court, they’ll do anything to win, regardless of how much they have to scrap and claw to get their.

In fact, the Bulls got so physical, forward Taj Gibson picked up a flagrant for leveling his former college teammate O.J. Mayo with multiple elbows as he tried to grab a rebound.

While the Bulls certainly don’t want their players getting ejected or giving the other team free possessions, they immediately set the tone against Milwaukee and gave many fresh playoff faces for Milwaukee a rude awakening to the life that is the NBA Playoffs.

Roses explosive play and return has brought levels of energy to the Bulls that have everyone fighting for every inch. If they bring that mentality to every game, they have what it takes to win an NBA Championship.

3. The Bulls Are Finally A Complete Team

Usually in sports, when teams win a championship, they acquire a player to put them over the hump. In Chicago, they already have that player in Derrick Rose who can take them to glory. The problem the last few years is that he wasn’t on the court to do so.

In that time, despite being bounced from the playoffs without winning a title, the team has added some impressive pieces to their roster, which gives the Bulls perhaps the best depth of any team in the playoffs.

The additions of Pau Gasol and Nikola Mirotic have been absolutely huge to the Bulls. All of a sudden, the front court of Joakim Noah and Pau Gasol looks like one of the best there is. Add in Mirotic, who can stroke it from outside, and the Bulls have a very dangerous and diverse front court.

Not only have they made significant additions to the front court, but Jimmy Butler, who should win the Most Improved Player Award this year, has become an All-Star in the wake of Derrick Rose’s absence because of injuries. Butler has evolved into one of the best scoring threats in the league, and many felt the Bulls were contenders because of him before Rose even returned.

Now that Rose is back, the team has another dynamic scoring threat. Pairing him with Butler allows the duo to pull off sick plays like this.

The Bulls have incredible depth. Getting back Derrick Rose, who wants to prove all the doubters wrong and looks the MVP version of himself, means Chicago now has the best roster in the playoffs.

Fair Warning has been served to everyone. Derrick Rose is back and he’s ready to bring Chicago another championship.

With one of the best rosters around him, Rose has all the tools available to completing a masterpiece in the 2015 playoffs. The look of determination and fire in the eyes of the Rose after the first game of this year’s postseason show a side of him we haven’t seen in a long time.

The Chicago Bulls are officially back and they just became favorites to win the NBA Finals.

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