The Chicago Bulls are seen as one of the most historic teams in sports history. They are a six time championship team which is the third most in the history of the National Basketball Association. Players such as Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen were the face of the franchise and helped dominate the 90’s.

In the new era there are a few players on the Chicago Bulls who are seen as iconic. Some may say that Joakim Noah and Jimmy Butler are the focus point of the team. There is another player who was born and raised in Chicago and was predicted to be the next Jordan.

His name is Derrick Rose and he was the first overall pick in the 2008 NBA draft. There has been a lot of controversy involving Rose; whether it be the injuries or the incidents that took place off the court. People have begun to lose hope in Rose and are stating that the Bulls will be better team without him.

The NBA is made up of numerous elite teams and I believe that Rose is the X-factor in making the Bulls a championship contender. He was the youngest Most Valuable Player in league history and although the injuries have slowed him down over the past couple of years, Rose is still one of the elite point guards in the NBA.

Adapting to life without Rose is something that the Bulls have had to do for a couple of seasons now. According to Diehard Sports, in the past four seasons the Bulls have had a record of 113-80 without Rose.

It may be a bit misleading due to the fact that most of those wins were against non-playoff teams. When it comes to facing elite competition, Rose is always ready to step up to the task.

In just this season he has faced point guards such as Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook, and Kyrie Irving. According to the Chicago Sun-times, Rose has averaged 21.3 points against them and has won all but one of the meetings.

When it comes to discussing his future in Chicago, Rose has not done a good job in choosing his words wisely. In the past he has stated that he is looking forward to free agency due to all the money that will be available.

Also he mentioned that he would sit out a couple of games because he did not want to be sore at his son’s graduation. It has led to fans questioning his toughness and whether he is only in Chicago for the money.

No one can truly understand what Rose is going through, especially after going through numerous career threatening injuries. He is trying to listen to his body and make sure that he does not face another major setback.

In the 2014-2015 season, Rose faced another meniscus tear which would have ended his season. Instead of sitting out for the rest of the year, he decided to get the meniscus cut and return for the playoffs where he performed at an elite level.

Rose will now have to go the rest of his career in pain, but he took that risk because he wanted to play and be there for his teammates. His toughness and love for the game should never be in question.

One of the biggest issues that people tend to have with Rose is that he is being paid an absurd amount of money. His current contract is for five years and is worth $94,314,380 dollars. People constantly mention that he is stealing the Bulls money because he never plays, but Rose has earned every penny.

The Bulls were lost after the Jordan era and when Rose was drafted they became a playoff team once again. He led them to a conference finals and the Bulls have not missed the playoffs in seven years.

People must admit that the Bulls are a better overall team when Rose in on the court. Although he may not be the same player from the 2010-2011 MVP season, he is still one of the biggest threats that the Bulls have.

Butler has turned into a star, and when you pair him up with Rose they can become the greatest backcourt in the league.

In the beginning of January, Rose stated that he would want nothing more than to retire as a Chicago Bull. This shows exactly where his heart is and how he is dedicated to staying in Chicago and possibly bringing another championship to the city.

The Chicago Bulls have had a rough season so far, but have beaten the most elite teams in the league including the Cleveland Cavaliers. It seems that Rose has finally found his game again and if the Bulls can stay healthy in the playoffs, they will be a force to be reckoned with.