Derrick Rose’s injury sucks. He is out for the playoffs with a torn ACL and there is no other word but sucks to do it justice. (Well, other words I can run here, anyway.)
It also changes the playoff picture in the East completely.
First and foremost, this just sucks for fans of basketball who now will be deprived of seeing one of the game’s most exciting players on its biggest stage. It also means we will be deprived of seeing Rose in the 2012 London Olympics — it’s unlikely he is healthy enough and doubly unlikely he’d take the risk of rushing back for the games. But when one door closes a window opens — this almost guarantees Russell Westbrook will get a roster spot. In London.
Next, this is a punch to the gut of Chicago — Bulls fans suddenly become Cubs fans talking about “next year” much earlier than they should.
The Bulls are a good team without Rose but they are not a title contender. Everyone knows it, which is why this is such a blow. This morning Chicago fans woke up thinking they had a real shot at a ring this season, then for the first 46 minutes of Game 1 against the 76ers felt better about that as they had the old Derrick Rose back — Taj Gibson said that to Aggrey Sam of CSNChicago.com.
The Bulls still won the game 103-91, in part because the injury happened with just more than a minute to go.
When Rose went to the ground late in the game it was like the breath was sucked out of the United Center. It still feels that way in Chicago.
Tom Thibodeau, who has played his starters heavy minutes this year, will hear a lot of flack over this — why was Rose in the game with the Bulls up 12 and just over a minute left? Why, because it’s the playoffs and you don’t take anything for granted. This is not the Timberwolves in February, this is a playoff game. The injury was a fluke, it could have happened any time, and it’s not on Thibodeau.
The Bulls will fight valiantly, they are used to playing without Rose and held on to the top spot in the East without him. But the playoffs are different, defense and execution are not enough, you need the talent to go with them. Chicago’s door will close because they lost their best talent on a fluke injury.
Finally, for other teams in the East, the door just swung open.
It’s not fair, but the reality of the playoffs. There is no asterisk next to the Magic reaching the NBA finals in 2009 because Kevin Garnett was hurt, just like there is no asterisk next to the Lakers 2010 title because Kendrick Perkins got hurt for Game 7. Injuries to key players are part of the playoffs and you can do it with any season if you want.
For the Miami Heat, their toughest obstacle to a finals return has been dealt a serious blow. They just became prohibitive favorites in the East (and it didn’t hurt that LeBron James looked dominant against the Knicks).
For the Boston Celtics — and maybe the Atlanta Hawks — they can now see a clear path to the NBA finals. The winner of the Boston/Atlanta series will get the depleted Bulls (or victorious Sixers, although I still don’t expect that). Boston — with it’s good defense and now superior point guard play and overall talent level — would be the favorites against the Bulls.
Celtics fans can dream — beat Atlanta, get by the Bulls now and suddenly you are in the Eastern Conference Finals against a very good but flawed Heat team. Banner 18 is still a long shot, but it seems more possible than it did 24 hours ago.
Derrick Rose’s tragic knee injury has changed the playoffs in the East. Miami and Boston (and maybe Atlanta) are the biggest beneficiaries.
Bulls fans, they just feel sick.