As most sports fans and players know, Derrick Rose has been in the national limelight since his high school days. Rose went into his Senior year of high school being scouted as the number 5 basketball player in the country. After mewling over some scholarship offers, Rose decided to attend the University of Memphis. As a Freshman, Rose managed to average 15 points per game, 5 assist, and 5 rebounds. Rose led the Memphis team all the way to the NCAA Championship where they lost to the Kansas Jayhawks in OT.
At this point in his young career, Rose and another guy by the name of Michael Beasley were the two real "superstars" of the 2008 draft. With a 1.7% chance of getting the first pick in the NBA Draft, luck was in the Bulls favor; They got the first pick.
The excitement and hype about Rose is constantly rising at this time. He had just come off a spectacular regular season and NCAA tournament performance (especially for a freshman). Now, as the number 1 pick in the draft, he gets a chance to play for his hometown team. The last number 1 pick to do so was LeBron James (technically from Akron). So, on top of being the number 1 pick, playing for the people nightly that have a significant impact on his life is added pressure. With that being said, the saying "Pressure makes diamonds" perfectly describes the impact that Rose was able to make right away. By the end of his rookie year, Rose had collected a number of accolades that included taking the Bulls to the playoffs. Rose won the ROY(rookie of the year) award, averaging 17 points per game, 6 assist, and 4 rebounds per game. In his very first playoff game, Rose tied Kareem Abdul-Jabar for most points scored in a debut performance (36) in NBA history.
Each and every year, Rose was able to prove that he was the real deal. In just his third season, Rose led the Bulls to a 62 win season. The last time that Chicago had over 60 wins was in 1998 (Michael Jordan's last championship season). In addition, Rose became the first Bulls player since Jordan to win the honorable MVP award. In one season alone, Rose was able to record over 2,000 points to go along with 600 assists. At just 22 years old, the limelight couldn't be any brighter for Rose.
The potential that Rose has was and still is very scary for opposing teams. At just 22, he was able to average slightly over 25 points a game, and 7 assist. Most players don't even tend to reach their peak until their late twenties. If healthy, Rose has the potential to reach an average close to 30 points and 10 assist per game in his peak. The only thing that can stop a player from accomplishing such is his health; And that's exactly what happened to Rose. In Rose's fourth year, Rose was able to average 21 points and 8 assist. However, he is only played in 39 games due to multiple injuries during the regular season. During the last few minutes of Game 1 , Rose tore his ACL in his left knee. Rose would be out of the 2012 playoffs , and go on to miss the entire 2013 season.
At this point, some of the stardom has been lost. It's hard to miss one entire season and still as relevant as you are when you are participating. However, missing only one year is far from a career disaster. Many were in anticipation for the return of Rose in the 2013-2014 season. Unfortunately, the injury bug would bite again.
One month into the season, Rose injured his right knee. The MRI showed that Rose tore his meniscus which means that he would once again be out for the season. From an athletic standpoint, it's already hard to miss ONE game due to injury. Out of the last 246 regular season game the Bulls have played, Rose has only participated in 49. Yes, 49. In a matter of three short years, Rose went from being the MVP of the league to strictly a team supporter.
One thing about Rose is that throughout the past 2 seasons, he has never seemed to lose hope in returning back to his old form. While many doubt that he will be the same, Rose has done nothing but work hard. He hopes to one day be considered one of the best; sitting the mountain top with the best.
Want to discuss anything about this article? Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @SportsWatcherss.