The 10 biggest what-if scenarios of the NBA this decade
2. What if Derrick Rose never tore his ACL?
By the time the 2012 playoffs came around, Derrick Rose wasn’t destined for stardom. He was already in the midst of it, the reigning MVP and the youngest to ever win the award at just 22 years of age.
His explosiveness was unmatched by any positional contemporary and few could keep up with his blazing speed and twitch-fast quickness.
Rose was the best player on a Chicago Bulls team tied for the best record in the league, but a simple hop-step maneuver he’d done countless times before changed the trajectory of what was looking like a Hall of Fame career.
It was Game 1 of the opening-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers. A torn ACL ended his season, robbed him of the entirety of the 2012-13 campaign and set off a string of ailments he’d never fully recover from.
So Derrick Rose has suffered a torn medial meniscus in both knees over last two years, in addition to a torn ACL. Ugh.
— Tom Haberstroh (@tomhaberstroh) November 24, 2013
The Bulls were contenders in many eyes and legitimate challengers to the infamous Miami Heat. Miami had easily taken down Chicago in the 2011 conference finals, but further reinforcements for Rose at the offensive end could’ve made for tighter series in future matchups.
In the golden age of point guards where some of the best individual battles occur on a nightly basis, the NBA has been robbed of so many involving Rose.
Imagine the battle for athletic supremacy with Russell Westbrook or a clash of contrasting styles with Stephen Curry and Damian Lillard.
Rose’s talents could’ve brought championship success back to the Bulls and served as the face for the most talented position in the game. The impact of his demise isn’t spread as far as others, but even to this day, the wounds still cut too deep.