Return of D-Rose?

Derrick Rose / Keith Allison - Flickr.com

Derrick Rose is rumored to return to the playoffs after suffering a torn ACL more than a year ago. The injury threw doubt on the Chicago Bulls’ success in the 2012-2013 season. Now the team is heading into Game 5 against the Miami Heat and it is urgent that their franchise player returns.

Despite being without their star guard, the Bulls managed to reach 5th place in the Eastern Conference and beat the Brooklyn Nets in the first round of the playoffs. Their current challenge is overcoming a 3-1 series deficit and advancing past the league MVP LeBron James and the Heat. With all of their injury problems, the Bulls are in a tricky situation. A returning Rose; however will just be enough to offer the Heat a challenge.

Another pressure Rose faces comes from the fans. Rose has received much criticism due to his absence despite being cleared to play for more than two months. The NBA star even participated in full contact practices.

“If this is about, 'Hey, it doesn't feel right and I'm worried I can hurt it,' then no way should he play,” TNT commentator Steve Kerr was quoted in an ESPN article. ”But if this is just about, 'You know, gosh, I'm just not quite confident yet.' I would appeal to him and say, 'Can you give us 20 minutes?' And if you're Derrick, you've been watching Noah and Hinrich play on one leg this whole series, at what point do you start to feel sort of self-conscious and guilty about what's unfolding?"

Both his teammates and the Bulls organization are coming to Rose’s aid. ‘‘It’s not bothersome because I know all that he’s putting into it and I know who he is,’’ Bulls’ coach Tom Thibodeau said in a Sun Times article. ‘‘I know his character. He’s done amazing things for our organization, and he’s doing all he can. That’s all you can ever ask a guy to do. So there’s always going to be some negativity, but I think the vast majority of it is very positive.’’

The Bulls are in a tough predicament and need some help. Despite an early 3-1 series lead, the team was forced to wait for Game 7 to win their first round series against the Brooklyn Nets. Now the Bulls are facing possible elimination against the top team in the NBA. Rose is the missing piece for the Bulls, but only time will tell if they will have to wait for the next season to fit him in. "Everybody has their own opinion," Rose was quoted in a USA Today article as a response to Kerr’s statement. "The key words that he said were, 'If I'm ready.' (Right now) I'm not ready. I'm just trying to take my time and really, really be smart."

Will the Heat come out on top?

The advantages the Heat have over the Mavericks are the following:

- Miami Heat is known for their tight defense. The main reason for the Chicago Bulls’ loss in game four was because of Miami’s defense. MVP Derrick Rose could not penetrate like he did in the regular season because he would be surrounded by two or three Miami jerseys.

- The Dallas Mavericks have too many old players, but this can be an advantage since they have more experienced players than the Heat. However, the Heat have speed and stamina which the Mavericks lack. Who would be able to keep up with “The Flash” Dwyane Wade? By the end of the third quarter, the Mavericks will be out of gas, while the Heat are still ready to go.

- The Dallas Mavericks are known for their excellence in three pointers. This would definitely be an advantage for the Mavericks. However, the Miami Heat have the 2011 three point champion; James Jones. Jones was the key to the Miami Heat’s victory in Game 1 against the Boston Celtics.

Who will it be? Rose-tastic, The King or Superman

Basketball season is coming to an end and the playoffs are on their way. The playoff tree is 90% complete and the only thing left is to announce are the end of season awards. There have been many disputes on who deserves to be named Most Valuable Player. Such candidates are Derrick Rose, LeBron James, Dwight Howard, Kobe Bryant, Dirk Nowitziki, and Kevin Durant. However out of all these candidates, only three stand out the most; Derrick Rose, LeBron James, and Dwight Howard.

Rose has been nothing but amazing this season. He averages 25.1 PPG and 7.9 APG. Compared to last season, Rose has improved his shooting abilities to a whole new level. It is because of Rose that the Chicago Bulls are the number one seed in the East. Derrick Rose is the leader of the Bulls just as James was the leader of the Cleveland Cavaliers. When James was still a Cavalier, he won MVP twice, but he could not win the championship. With Rose, however, we cannot come to the conclusion that he will win the MVP and lose in the playoffs.

Out of these three candidates, James has the best overall statistics; he is averaging 26.6 PPG, 7.5 RPG, and 7.0 APG. Although James is a huge asset to the Miami Heat, the Heat do not need James as much as the Bulls need Rose. The Heat still have Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, and the winner of the 3-point contest, James Jones.

So far, Dwight Howard has also been spectacular, but his achievements aren't good enough because the Orlando Magic is the fourth seed. Howard averages 23.2 PPG and 14.2 RPG. If Howard doesn't win MVP, he will most likely win Defensive Player of the Year. According to Michael Jordan, Rose is the MVP of the season. With tons of supporters for Rose, he will most likely be named Most Valuable Player of the Year.