Chicago Bulls: 2015-16 Season Awards

Comeback Player of the Year: Derrick Rose

Following his meteoric rise to the NBA’s Most Valuable Player in 2011, Derrick Rose has had a difficult time staying healthy to say the least.

In fact, over the past four seasons, the former Bulls point guard has missed 201 out of a total 328 games, which means that he has played in just 39 percent of Chicago’s games during that stretch.

The 2015-16 campaign began with a similar tone, as Rose sustained an orbital fracture on the first day of training camp.

But after reaching the 40 percent mark from the field just once during the first half of the season, Rose bounced back over the next three months, recording shooting percentages of 47, 44 and 46, respectively.

Along with that, Rose’s 16.4 points per contest was his second-highest average since 2011-12. His 43 percent shooting (although not overly impressive) was his highest conversion rate over the last three seasons.

Even more important, Rose appeared in 66 games, which was more than the number of games he has played in the last three years combined. Whether Rose has turned the corner or not remains to be seen.

If last year is any indication, however, he could help his new team, the New York Knicks, return to the playoffs following a three-year absence.

Next: MVP