Chicago Bulls: What could have been in the Derrick Rose era
The Derrick Rose era with the Chicago Bulls may have been an enchanted one, but now that most of those players are on the Minnesota Timberwolves, what went wrong?
Welp, that didn’t take long.
When beloved coach Tom Thibodeau was relieved of his duties as skipper for the Chicago Bulls, the truth is that most fans were sorry to see him go.
He was a really tough coach who didn’t let players take plays off. He got the most out of guys who would’ve been discarded in other scenarios. He was the mind behind the youngest MVP in league history, he was the motor behind the least likely of MVP candidates in Joakim Noah, and he was the coach who gave a young Jimmy Butler the opportunity he needed to become the superstar he has become.
When he was cast off, he was bold in saying he would crawl to Madison Square Garden. Well, quite the opposite happened: He ended up with a job that, albeit great from a roster perspective, was in a much less desirable location than the Big Apple.
However, Minnesota became a home quickly for Thibs, as he took the Minnesota Timberwolves‘ young roster from the bottom of the standings to playoff contention. That’s what Thibs does. That’s why Chicago loved him.
But now, in a recent expected signing of Derrick Rose, there are currently four of the major pieces from the Derrick Rose era playing for (or coaching) the Minnesota Timberwolves, along with Jimmy Butler and Taj Gibson.
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Truth be told, the connection between the Chicago Bulls and Minnesota Timberwolves runs deep. Minnesota even rosters ex-Bulls like Aaron Brooks and Jamal Crawford.
In addition, the Bulls’ current core of young promising players exclusively come from Minnesota, whether in the form of picks or players.
Looking back at the Derrick Rose era, especially seeing a majority of them strangely reunited and playing together for a different team, any warm-blooded Bulls fan can’t help but wonder what could have been.
Granted, there shouldn’t be too much seller’s remorse. As tough of a pill as it is to swallow, the writing on the wall regarding Derrick Rose was clear even before the New York Knicks trade two summers ago. In addition, Joakim Noah, who is nearing a bitter break with New York, isn’t going to be worth much to his new team outside of moral support, whether that be Minnesota or even the Oklahoma City Thunder.
If it were this simple, there would be no issue. For Chicago Bull fans, it no doubt has to hurt to see the league heap praise on coach Tom Thibodeau, or to watch the continued flourishing of Jimmy Butler (despite his recent injury), or even the resurgence of Taj Gibson.
It’s a bit of a mixed bag, but all that does is prove one thing: A roster is just that, a roster. A list of names on a piece of paper. Some of the names excite us. Some of them feel sad or old. At the end of the day, a team succeeding and bringing home banners is a delicate balance of talent, timing, chemistry and, of course, the most delicate ingredient of all — health.
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Best of luck, Derrick Rose!