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5 Players With The Most To Prove In 2016-17

By Carter Johnson

Nov 5, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose (1) dribble the ball around Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) during the second half at the United Center. The Bulls won 104-98. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 5, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose (1) dribble the ball around Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) during the second half at the United Center. The Bulls won 104-98. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports /
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Apr 7, 2016; Miami, FL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose (1) looks on during the second half against the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 7, 2016; Miami, FL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose (1) looks on during the second half against the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /

Derrick Rose

As far as Derrick Rose has fallen, he still holds a soft spot in many people’s hearts because of the immense talent that fans were robbed of far too soon.

The 2011 League MVP has been a completely different player since then and just played his first somewhat full season in four years, averaging just 16.4 points a game.

As heartbreaking as it was to see his hometown Chicago Bulls trade him away and end such a hopeful era in their basketball history, few would argue that his recent play — or injury history — warranted them paying him what they were.

Now Rose is in the Big Apple and while plenty are still rooting for him to return to his MVP form, few believe that he will be able to overcome his injury proneness to do so.

Even with Rose displaying his usual supreme confidence in himself and going as far as to call this newly assembled New York Knicks squad a “superteam,” it’s just hard to escape that feeling that his body won’t live up to that measure of confidence.

With Rose on the last year of his hefty MVP-contract, he essentially has one year to prove his worth to the Knicks, who can easily walk away from him next summer when surer bets in Chris Paul and Kyle Lowry will hit the free agency market.

The former superstar has one season to prove to the rest of the league that he is still one of the elite point guards in the game and all eyes will be on the bright lights of the Garden to see if Rose can blossom into a star-caliber talent once again.

Next: Will Love Stay In The Land?