How Does the Return of Derrick Rose Affect the East?

The return of Derrick Rose could make the Bulls so dynamic that they emerge out of the East.

For Knicks, Heat, Nets and possibly even Pacers fans there is a harsh reality looming over there championship aspirations. The Chicago Bulls are 28-17, a game and a half behind the Knicks, and playing Thibodeau-basketball the way Thibodeau basketball is supposed to be played, gritty, ugly and pretty damn successful. Problem is, they're doing it without their main cog, their floor general and their best offensive player, Derrick Rose. But the 24-year-old superstar has just been cleared for contact and within 10 days, barring a mishap, he should return to the hardwood.

Right off the bat Rose will be limited to probably 20 minutes a game. You're not going to endanger your superstar by running him into the ground after he shredded his ACL last April. Consider the fact that the Bulls are playing fine without him he'll be eased into the lineup without any distress. Honestly, it's a win-win. And even if he disrupts the defensive sets early on because of rust, it most likely won't be for long. Also, I wouldn't be surprised if Thibodeau was already game planning a rusty Rose, I mean he is a defensive genius. Either way the Bulls won't be scary until the playoffs and that's coincidentally scary in it's own right.

Now let's play the eye test game. Is there a team in the East that has looks like a true favorite in the East? The Heat? No one on that team scares me anymore other than LeBron. The only thing really going for them right now is the benefit of the doubt. New York? Started hot, cooling off right now and their perimeter defense is completely absent. Jury's still out on my Knicks. Indiana and Brooklyn are pretenders in my eyes.

The re-addition of Rose to the Bulls lineup may take time, but it could completely alter the Bulls play. Rose is instant offense as well and a key ingredient to some impressive ball movement. He's their main cog and makes their offense truly dynamic. They've already shown that their defense alone should scare the rest of the East and if they can become even better on offense, which they most likely will with Rose, then this playoff picture becomes a three-headed monster.

It's a big "if" for Rose to come back at the high-flying, exhilarating play that made him MVP only two years ago. Adrian Peterson is the only athlete in recent memory to come back even better post-ACL surgery and I'm not sure if Rose will do the same. When he was finally diagnosed with the ACL tear last season, I thought they should shelve him for the season. I mean the guy is only 24 and his franchise changing value is nothing to mess around with. But the Bulls are in a unique scenario in which they probably won't even need full strength from him until the playoffs. That decreases the risk on Rose re-tearing his ACL and potentially threatening his career.

For Knicks and Heat fans it's time to take notice at how well Chicago operates on the floor and truly fear the return of Derrick Rose. My Knicks are 0-3 against the Bulls already; that doesn't bode well for championship aspirations at all.