In a long-forgotten era of NBA history, there was a time when former Bulls star Derrick Rose was the best point guard in the league. Obviously, he’s not nearly the same player he used to be, but plenty of people still remember what he was like before injuries hijacked his career. Speaking on his podcast, Clippers swingman Paul George described the Bulls legend as “untouchable” during the 2010-2011 season.
“I remember in the playoffs we’re going over schemes, matchups, who’s guarding who, and they like ‘aight P you got DRose.’ Wait what? I just started playing. Y’all trust me guarding the MVP? It was crazy matching up with him and seeing him in front of me cause I’m not gonna lie, that year, he was untouchable. That series took me deep into my career in terms of like ‘if I can guard him, I can guard anybody.’ other than Ja, I’ve never seen anybody else have that ability.”
Rookie PG vs. MVP Derrick Rose pic.twitter.com/HVCzJKZ0b8
— Podcast P with Paul George (@PodcastPShow) December 30, 2023
Derick Rose was on another level back then and it was almost unbelievable what he was able to do on the court. Sadly, that version of Rose only lasted a few years and 2011 was really the last time that the Bulls posed a threat in the East.
Impressive Playoff Run In 2011
Paul George was assigned to Rose when they met in the 2011 postseason, but the Pacers stood no chance at all and Derrick was lighting them up night after night. He averaged 26.7 points in the series along with 6.2 assists and 2.6 steals. The Pacers were eliminated in just five games, proving the Bulls’ status as contenders and elevating Rose to a position as one of the top players in the game.
That year, Rose would lead his team all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they were defeated by LeBron James and the Miami Heat superteam. Looking back, that playoff run was the height of Rose’s career and that entire season is his masterpiece with averages of 25.0 points, 7.7 assists, and 4.1 rebounds per game on 44% shooting as the league MVP. If it wasn’t for the myriads of injuries, who knows what he could have accomplished?
What Happened To Derrick Rose?
The story of Derrick Rose isn’t necessarily a happy one but it’s a shining example of perseverance and persistence in the gravest circumstances. The fall-off began not long after that 2011 playoff run. After playing just 39 games in the following season, Rose would go down with the first major injury of his career: an ACL tear that knocked the Bulls out of the playoffs and started a brutal chain of events.
Rose returned in the 2012-2013 season but he was never able to return to his MVP form. Unfortunately, his ACL tear was just the start of his injury problems and he would struggle to stay healthy throughout the rest of his career. Despite everything, Rose is still in the league today and getting some quality minutes off the bench for the Memphis Grizzlies. It’s been a truly wild ride for the Chicago native and while he will forever remain one of the league’s biggest “what if” stories, you can also count his journey as a massive success given what he endured to keep his playing career alive.
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