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Rose and the Bulls had a great run together, but both parties needed to move on.
On Friday, Derrick Rose will play at the United Center as a visitor for the first time after spending the first eight years of his career in his native Chicago. It should be an emotional night, both for the player and the fans.
It should also provide the perfect reminder that it was time for Rose to move on, and that the trade that sent him to New York was the best thing for everyone involved.
Rose went from savior to pariah
As bad as things got after the knee injury that derailed Rose's career, they couldn't erase the wonderful feelings of his first years in the NBA. Those times couldn't have been scripted better. The Bulls only had a 1.7-percent chance to land the top pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, but somehow won the lottery. It happened to be the year that Rose, a Chicago high school star, was expected to go first overall.
The Bulls picked Rose and finally had the centerpiece they needed to transition from the post-Michael Jordan era. He lived up to the hype and cemented his status as a hometown hero. His rise in 2011 had his native Chicago back in contention behind the youngest MVP in league history. Those good memories don't fade quickly.
Yet most fans were ready for his departure last offseason. As he continued to suffer knee injuries, he went from the personification of hope to a tragic figure. Worse yet, he struggled to accept that things had changed. Baffling comments and reported clashes with teammates managed to erode the good will he had accrued in the good times as Chicago's favorite son. The hometown attention, once an inspiration, suffocated him.
His time with the Bulls shows one of the most heartbreaking careers in recent NBA history. After a tenure filled with so much frenzy and sorrow, no one can blame all parties for wanting a clean break.
Rose couldn't adjust to the Bulls' new style
Yet it was ultimately Rose's play that doomed the relationship. He was never the player he once was after missing a year following surgery for an ACL tear, yet he continued to think of himself as a star instead of adjusting. That was an issue under Tom Thibodeau, but it became a much bigger problem when Fred Hoiberg was hired as head coach.
In Hoiberg’s new offense, Rose was asked to push the ball and keep it moving. That was a huge point of emphasis for Hoiberg, who instructed Rose to get the ball past half court in three seconds whenever possible. After years of dominating the ball and playing at a glacial pace under Thibodeau, he either didn't know how or refused to do it consistently enough.
Even in a system that didn't suit him, his natural talent should have allowed him to contribute regardless. During training camp, Rose suffered from a broken eye socket that required surgery and disrupted his vision for long after he was cleared to play. He was limited and Chicago suffered for it.
The Bulls’ offense ranked 25th in the league, and combined with a defensive regression, that cost them a playoff spot. Rose, meanwhile, posted a career-low assist percentage and the second-worst true shooting percentage of his career. It was clearly a bad fit.
A new beginning for both
Chicago brought in replacements that also historically prefer to play a different style, but they’ve bought in so far. Rajon Rondo, another ball-dominant guard who enjoyed success early in his career before falling off, is actually keeping the offense moving. Dwyane Wade is accepting that he has to shoot three-pointers to give the offense room to breathe.
It's early, but these Bulls seem to enjoy playing together, which was not true of last season's iteration. They are coming into Friday's game with a 3-1 record and the third-best offense in the league.
Rose’s time with the Knicks has been rockier. His summer was dominated by a civil trial for sexual assault. Though he was found not liable, the saga hurt his reputation.
Now that the games have started, Rose has a chance to begin again in a city desperate for even the smallest taste of success. The expectations regarding his individual play are low, too, because he's replacing Jose Calderon, perhaps the worst starting point guard in the league last year.
Rose's numbers — 16 points, four rebounds, and only two dimes per game — are not great. Yet Rose's assists numbers should improve, as his ratio between potential assists and actual assists is especially low right now. He just needs his teammates to hit more shots.
The Knicks have won just one out of four games, but they have also faced a tough schedule, including a game at Cleveland. They are not a contender, but they are seeking to be in the playoff hunt, which might be enough for their season to not be considered a failure.
Without the burden to repeat the success of the past in his hometown, Rose is facing less pressure than he has in a while. That's the type of environment he needs to be in if he hopes to transition into the next stage of his career. It remains to be seen if he can do it.
Friday’s game will be an emotional one. It will give the city of Chicago, the Bulls, and Rose himself a much-needed opportunity to appreciate the good and the bad of their eight years together.
After that, everyone should move on knowing that while the breakup was inevitable and a little ugly, it was the best thing that could have happened to both sides.