Bulls Fans, Have Faith in D. Rose

So what did Bulls fans learn about LeBron after last night? That he was a narcissistic 25 year old, who is surrounded by a bunch of yes-men, who couldn't fathom telling him that announcing his decision on national television was not the best idea? No, I think we already knew all of that. Quite frankly, it surprises me that some people are shocked by this ego-driven spectacle.
This is a guy who was dubbed the "The Chosen One," at age 18. He has a tattoo of the phrase and has heard it so many times he believes it. He also refers to himself as "King" and referred to himself in the third person a number of times during the press conference.
Here's what we learned about LeBron, and its of utmost importance to Bulls fans. He doesn't have the killer instinct. You know, the one that Jordan had, Kobe and Durant have. When asked why he chose Miami, what did he say? Because it made him happy.
Not to be the best player who leads his team to multiple championships. Not to prove that he is capable of carrying a team and relishes the opportunity. He just wants to be happy.
In Miami he gets to play with his best friends, enjoy the weather, women, and doesn't shoulder all of the blame when the team isn't doing well. That's what he wants. Not to be the guy, but just one of the guys.
As a sports fan this saddens me, as a Bulls fan, I'm ever so grateful. The competition is less fierce now that the talent is not spread as much amongst each team, creating an opening for the Bulls. However, part of me was hoping he would choose the Knicks so I could relive my youth of the mid 90s. Bulls, Magic, Knicks, Heat all on top, if only the Pacers could find a way back. The league was so exciting back then, a number of teams, all with great players that had that killer instinct, and wanted nothing more than beat the other.
LeBron doesn't want that. He doesn't want to have to take the shot at the end of the game. He doesn't want to have to accept responsibility when the team loses. He wants to be a star player without the burden that goes along with being a star player.
I didn't know that about him. I really didn't. And now that I do, I'm glad he's not in a Bulls uniform. The last thing the Bulls needed was to pay max money to a guy who is not comfortable in a leadership role.
But I'm going to let you in on a little secret. If you're a Bulls fan, it isn't even a secret. We already have that player with the killer instinct. The player that doesn't deflect their failure on others, but instead, works on their game to get better. That player that relishes the opportunity to go against the NBA's best and try to prove that they're better.
That player is Derrick Rose.
Nobody outside of Chicago knows it yet, but Rose will show the world this year why he belongs in the upper echelon of players. For the first time in his career he has a low post scorer in Boozer. He has a player in Deng, that when he slashes instead of settles on jump shots can create open mid range jumpers for Rose. Rose has improved his shot dramatically, another aspect of his game that has gone unnoticed outside of Chicago.

The free agency period isn't done yet, the Bulls still need to add a couple players capable of knocking down the three and playing solid defense off the bench. A three point shooter is of particular importance because with the combination of Rose and Deng driving, and Boozer forcing double teams down low, there will be three pointers open all game.
What's been the biggest knock on Rose? That he's supposedly a star point guard that has only averaged 6 assists a game during his short career. Naysayers have used this stat to try and say that he is a shoot first point guard and incapable of making his teammates better.
If they'd actually watched the games they would have seen that he isn't in fact a shoot first point guard, and was routinely robbed of 4 to 6 assists a game because a) his teammates couldn't make open jumpers or b) his teammates took two unnecessary dribbles and hoisted a shot rather than taking the wide open look. This is why a shooter is so important, the Bulls need to start taking advantage of the opportunities Rose creates.
It was during Game 1 of the 2009 playoff series against the Celtics that I knew Rose would be a star. He outplayed Rajon Rondo in that game (a really hard thing to do), scoring 36 points and adding 11 assists. Rose, a rookie, willed the Bulls to victory and jump started what will go down as one of the most memorable NBA Playoff series ever. Make no mistake, if the Bulls don't win Game 1, the Celtics win that series in 5. It was his effort and determination that propelled us to new heights.
The Bulls are his team and now entering his third year he finally understands that. He's proven he won't back down from the challenge, and has improved every facet of his game since coming into the league. He has all the tools to be a great player, he just needs to be surrounded by the proper pieces.
And most importantly Bulls fans, he is our hometown hero. He is to us what LeBron was to Cleveland, except he would never leave in the fashion LeBron did. Have faith that D. Rose, and not some outside free agent can lead us to the championship we've been coveting. I know I do.
I was talking to one of my buddies on Tuesday about the possibility of who the Bulls could land. Naturally LeBron came up, and he said that it wouldn't feel as special winning if we just brought in a free agent, rather than drafting and developing our own talent. Amen. We don't need to sign a superstar, we already have one.