Tomorrow's Further Away

We'll never know what wrong Derrick Rose did in a past life to have such horrible luck strike him twice in 19 months, but he sure is suffering a greater penance than we could have ever imagined.  In turn, an entire city and organization must also suffer the consequences as he was the one man who could make incredible success possible.  Now, those potential rewards either must wait or will never come.

Although Rose had successful surgery on the medial meniscus in his right knee, he was officially ruled out for the season afterward.  Another Bulls run at a championship is down the tubes and the future is even more uncertain for both parties involved.  Rose may never be the player that won him the MVP award.  The current Bulls core will have nothing more than back-to-back division titles to show for their work.

Their most recent game, an 89-83 overtime loss to the 1-win Utah Jazz, is a reminder of just how grueling a path lays ahead.  Sure, they'll win some more games in the near future, but there's been too much of an emotional drain with the road trip and the loss of their leader.  Meanwhile, Rose kicks himself and curses in front of the TV, knowing he can do nothing to stop his team from slipping under .500 or do any significant damage in the playoffs.

We don't know where Rose will go from here, but unless something drastic changes for the better, he could become the biggest what-if in NBA history.  He's not the cornerstone player we thought he was and it has nothing to do with his playing ability.  His knees have betrayed him, perhaps more than any athlete who has ever played a sport professionally, or at least someone with his talent. 

Although he can still contribute at a high level, he's going to need someone to help him.  The drive and explosiveness his game is built on will only put him at further risk, which will make everyone watching him edgy.  If he wants to make the Hall of Fame, he'll need to find another way to wow the crowds.  Even that might not be enough as we now know just how injury-prone he is.  It's a very sad story unfolding before our eyes.

To that end, the story of the Bulls might be even sadder.  They put this team together with winning a championship in mind.  Now, a series of injuries, upcoming free agency and a likely amnesty have thrown it all out of whack.  With the head of the snake gone, several people have called for the Bulls to tank the season in hopes of landing one of the top college freshman in next year's draft.

I stand by my opposition of losing today for a better tomorrow.  As I've stated before, it's being dishonest to what you have as a team as well as the fan base.  Plus, it's tougher trying to lose than trying to win.  Throwing games in NBA 2K without making it too obvious isn't easy either, so how could the same apply to real life?

You also don't typically step onto a court with losing in mind.  Your brain is trying to relay the message of how you're going to succeed during a given possession.  How can throwing a game even stay in your brain for a full 48-minute game?  It's not possible, especially when each contest is two hours minimum.

Then of course, we find that the Eastern Conference just isn't bad enough for the Bulls to tank, even if they wanted to.  They have too much talent and would walk into a lower playoff seed anyway.  That's what happens when only three teams are above .500 four weeks into the season.  You have the Heat, the Pacers and everyone else.  Losing on purpose in the East is not possible and not an option.

My solution is to continue playing to your abilities, but shop around whoever you can in the interim.  It's early enough in the season that the Bulls can still change how they go about it.  Since you know reshaping has become a mandatory task for the front office, there's no time like the present to get started on it.

For instance, this is the perfect chance to get something for Luol Deng.  If he simply walks, the Bulls are out of luck.  Whether you can acquire young talent or future draft picks, this move should be at or near the top of the list.  Carlos Boozer's contract is more than anyone is willing to take on, Joakim Noah's injury history could be seen as a liability and Kirk Hinrich likely wouldn't fetch much.  At the very least, move the player who's an All-Star and could be the final piece for any team trying to make a run.

Whatever Gar Forman and John Paxson decide to do, they absolutely must get a good return on any and all deals.  That means finding future pieces for the next core, players who could be bait to make big deals and stocking up on draft picks.  If they can't get anything of the kind, they're better off just waiting until after the season to do something.

We didn't plan for the franchise to be set back for the next few years, but that's exactly what's being faced here.  Watching games will still be enjoyable, but the number of championship banners hanging at the United Center will have to remain at six while a new team can be constructed that includes Derrick Rose, but doesn't live and die with him.  Any quality player in the league is welcome to come to Chicago.  It would help speed up the process. 

More than likely though, the Bulls will have to do it themselves.  That's just fine, though.  It's better to watch a title team that was built more than bought.  And yes, I'm looking towards South Beach as I say that.