Derrick Rose: On The Way To Becoming A Draft Bust?

Derrick Rose was drafted #1 overall by the Chicago Bulls in 2008. This was just one year after Greg Oden was drafted #1 by the Trailblazers, who was one of the most famous draft busts of all time. The reason Oden became a draft bust was due to his lack of playing time from injuries.

Injuries, the key factor to one’s success or failure. Derrick Rose played his first three seasons in the NBA, becoming one of the league’s top Point Guards, let alone a top player in general. Chicago fans knew that their city was going to be back in the Championship in no time, with how Rose was playing. Becoming Rookie of the Year and the MVP in his third season.

It was his fourth season that struck him hard, following an amazing MVP season averaging 25 points and near 8 assists. Rose led his team to the playoffs, until an unfortunate ACL tear came about in the first game of the playoffs in a game against the Philadelphia 76ers. Without Rose, the 76ers advanced to the second round and Bulls fans were left to worry about their star player.

It became revealed later on after the injury, that Rose would miss his next season. Without Derrick Rose, the Bulls made it to the conference semi-finals only to lose to eventual champions, the Miami Heat.

10 games into his return season in 2013, Derrick Rose was averaging 16 points and 4 assists, which seemed off for someone of Rose’s status. It seemed his injury was taking effect on him, and that is when a second injury struck him in a game against the Trail Blazers. Once again, now with a torn meniscus, Derrick Rose was out for the season.

In 2014, Derrick Rose made his return yet again, this time still not averaging to the potential back when he first made his mark in the NBA. He scored a season high against the Wizards in January 2015. Only a month later he required another knee surgery to fix his torn meniscus, where Rose wouldn’t return until April.

Rose played his first playoff game since his ACL injury in 2015 against the Milwaukee Bucks. He averaged 20 points in the entire playoffs, before being eliminated by the Cleveland Cavaliers.

In the 2015-2016 season, Derrick Rose was sidelined with a left orbital bone fracture and began the season sporting a mask. He began showing signs of his old self after scoring 29 points, scoring 10 points in the final 3 and a half minutes in a win against the Thunder. As of this writing, Rose is averaging only 14 points, 5 assists, and 3 rebounds. While teammate Jimmy Butler, who is arguably the new star of the team, is averaging roughly 21 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists.

This leads to the question, is Derrick Rose a draft bust? After just 6 seasons in the NBA, Rose is still playing, unlike past draft busts who would usually no longer play in the league after 3 or 4 seasons. Rose has been unable to put up the stats, he did before his injuries. It seems his injuries are the lead to his deteriorating career. There has even been talks of trading Rose to another team, and some rumors that he would see the D-League. Those rumors are most likely false however anything can happen if Rose’s play doesn’t improve.

At one point considered the top PG in the league, that title seems to be filled with Stephen Curry, Russell Westbook, or Kyrie Irving. Westbrook was drafted #4 overall in the same year Rose was drafted. Westbrook is a much better player than Rose in current time. Maybe Westbrook was the better choice, but no one can tell how well someone will play. Could Bulls fans even consider how much better their team would be if Russell Westbrook, was rocking the Bulls jersey? Or do the Bulls fans still have hope that DRose can improve his game to NBA status again?

All in all, Derrick Rose is not a draft bust. At least not yet, he still has more time to improve however his knee injuries could always come back. If another severe injury occurs to Rose, then it could be argued more on the topic of being a draft bust. If we could go back and re-scout the NBA draft prospects of 2008 in current stats, it’d be more likely to see Russell Westbrook announced at #1 but what’s done is done. Rose’s game needs improvement and at his day and age, he has a lot of time for that. Chicago fans can all hope that Derrick Rose lives up to the number on his back, and will one day become the #1 Point Guard in the league again. As for now, he is not considered a draft bust but the future is still to come and we will all wait and see what changes in Rose’s game.