Derrick Rose belongs in the Hall of Fame

 

                                             (Credit: Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) 

The Chicago Bulls have made the decision to retire Derrick Rose's No. 1, making him the fifth player in franchise history to have his number retired: Jerry Sloan, Bob Love, Michael Jordan, and Scottie Pippen are the other four. 

While he did last 16 seasons in the NBA, Rose's career is really divided into two parts: Before he tore his ACL (first four seasons) and after (final 12 seasons). 

Before he tore his ACL, Rose was the number one overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft out of Memphis and picked up Rookie of the Year honors, averaging 16.8 points and 6.3 assists per game. In his third season (2010-11) at just 22 years of age, Rose averaged 25.0 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 7.7 assists per game, guiding the Bulls to a league best 62-20 record. Rose became the youngest NBA MVP in league history and only the third player since the 1972-73 season to record 2,000+ points and 600+ assists in a single season. The other two were LeBron James and Michael Jordan. 

During those first four years and especially during that MVP season, Rose was one of the most electric and explosive players the NBA had ever seen. He could jump out of the gym with lightning quickness while having an amazing ability to finish and attack the rim. He had great court vision and was a true point guard all while having these amazing physical gifts. 

(Rose with the NBA MVP trophy. Credit: Nuccio DiNuzzo/Chicago Tribune)

During the 2012 NBA playoffs in the first round against the Philadelphia 76ers, Rose tore his ACL, forcing him to miss the entire 2012-13 season. From then on, Rose was never the same. He still had some productive seasons where he comfortably scored in double figures on average, but his days of being the most electric point guard in the game were done. After the 2023-24 season with the Memphis Grizzlies, Rose announced his retirement. Rose finished his career as a three-time All-Star (2010-12), an NBA Rookie of the Year (2009), and an NBA MVP (2011). 

Rose also finished his career with a ton of what ifs. He's arguably the biggest what if in NBA history, though I think Len Bias takes the cake for that distinction. At least with Rose we got to see what he was in peak form. Bias we never got to see due to his tragic passing just days after he was drafted. But still, there's a lot of questions about what Rose would have accomplished had he not torn his ACL. Would he have won an NBA championship in Chicago? Would he have won a second MVP? How many All-Star appearances would he have had? What other honors would he have garnered? We'll just never know. 

While there's a lot we don't know, if you just go off his first three seasons in the NBA, I think Derrick Rose has a strong enough resume to have a spot in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame: 

For starters, every NBA MVP has made the Hall of Fame after retirement. That alone makes a strong case for Rose. Secondly, he has the Rookie of the Year honor, which puts him in pretty elite company. And then third, he did end up playing 16 seasons in the NBA (15 if you don't include the 2012-13 season), averaging 17.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game for his career. 

It's not like Rose just hung up his sneakers after four seasons in the NBA. He kept playing and ended up scoring a career-high 50 points with the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first game of the 2018-19 season, his 11th season in the NBA. He still had a solid NBA career even with the ACL tear. It's just that he could have had a special career and he was special for those first four seasons in the NBA. 

Switching gears from what should be a sure fire Hall of Fame case for Rose to the Bulls retiring his jersey, I think it's really cool that the Bulls are doing this. He brought an energy back to the Windy City that they hadn't had since the days of Michael Jordan and in the process energized the entire NBA. It's a no-brainer decision. Nobody else should ever wear No. 1 in Chicago Bulls history. That number belongs to Derrick Rose and now it forever will. 

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Wednesday Windmill: Is Isaiah Thomas a legit MVP candidate?

                                         (Credit: Keith Allison. Click here for source). 

During the past few seasons, we've gotten pretty used to hearing LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden mentioned in the NBA MVP conversations. While this year is no different in that those same names are once again being mentioned, a new MVP candidate has emerged in Boston Celtics point guard Isaiah Thomas, who is averaging 29.1 points and 5.9 assists per game on 46.2% shooting from the field, 37.9% shooting three-point range, and 91.1% shooting from the foul line.

Thomas, in his sixth season out of Washington, has the Celtics currently atop the Eastern Conference standings, posing to LeBron James the biggest threat in the Eastern Conference since the days when Paul George and the Indiana Pacers were contenders. While it is unprecedented to see a 5'9", 185 pound MVP candidate, Isaiah Thomas deserves such recognition for the way he has led his team throughout the season.

If there is one stat I can point to that best proves his MVP candidacy, it's that Isaiah Thomas leads the NBA in 4th quarter scoring. Thomas is showing that he can step up in crunch time as well as anybody in the NBA, which makes him an MVP candidate by default. When looking at what separates stars from the rest of the field, late game heroics and 4th quarter performances are what we first look to after glancing at the overall stats. When we think of Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, and other legends of the game, we think of their game winners and ability to take over games during the final minutes. By establishing himself as the best 4th quarter scorer in the NBA, it would be ridiculous for us to not mention Thomas as a serious MVP candidate.

In addition to his 4th quarter heroics, if you simply look at what Isaiah Thomas is doing as a whole, it's pretty obvious that he should be in the MVP conversation. He's getting close to 30 points per game and has his team in the driver's seat for the top seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. While he has gotten some help from the likes of Avery Bradley and Al Horford, the Boston Celtics really is the Isaiah Thomas show. Without him, this team would be fighting for an 8 seed instead of the top seed in the conference.

When looking at his complete resume, it is clear that Isaiah Thomas is a strong MVP candidate. He's got the stats, the clutch factor, and he's got his team in a position to make a deep run in the playoffs. I certainly hope that when the MVP voting gets revealed, we'll see that Isaiah Thomas was given the proper consideration for the award that he deserves.


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