National Basketball Association

Rose continues to stake claim for MVP

Published Feb. 17, 2011 12:00 a.m. ET

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The matchup was plenty interesting on paper: The surprisingly resurgent Spurs against the underappreciated Bulls on the eve of the All-Star break.

When the game was over, though, all the story angles dropped down to a single question: How could any reasonably informed NBA observer not have Derrick Rose ranked No. 1 on the list of MVP candidates?

All he did against the league's best team Thursday was drop a career-high 42 points, to go with eight assists, and lead the Bulls to a convincing 109-99 victory over San Antonio at the United Center.

Take away Rose's four errant attempts from 3-point range and he hit 18 of 24 shots from the field. Sure, Tim Duncan's defense isn't what it used to be, but he resembled a yield sign on this night.

On the eve of training camp, Rose wondered out loud, "Why can't I be MVP?" Now that it has a chance of becoming reality, he has flipped his demeanor back to the usual humble setting.

"I was just trying to do whatever it takes to win and tonight, I guess, it was just scoring the ball," Rose said after dominating the Spurs.

Here's the issue that can't be ignored when it comes to this year's NBA MVP: Boston is sending four players to the All-Star Game this weekend, while Miami booked hotel suites for three players.

Rose's only All-Star travel companion is forward Taj Gibson, who's playing in the Rookie-Sophomore Game.

It's not as though the Bulls are a one-man show, but that long-haired figure on the bench was center Joakim Noah, sitting out his 30th game of the season because of right thumb surgery. The Bulls expect Noah to return when play resumes next week.

"I think anyone who's watched and seen the things he's done from the start of the season until now, I can't imagine anyone doing more," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said of Rose.

Some analysts have been slow to hop aboard the "Rose for MVP" bandwagon. Sure, if the award was for the NBA's best player, LeBron James might lock it up for the next 10 years.

The description is "most valuable." As everyone knows, James left Cleveland so he'd have a better chance to win by aligning himself with two other All-Stars in Miami.

Doesn't that in itself preclude James from being the Most Valuable Player? Rose can't match James in rebounds, but otherwise their statistics are similar. The Bulls are just one loss behind the Heat in the standings, so Rose passes the team-success test.

One guy chose to make his life easier by taking his talents to South Beach. The other faces nightly double-teams but is producing similar results. The Cavaliers losing 26 straight games without James does not make him the MVP, either.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was appreciative after seeing Rose's best effort. The third-year guard also scored 33 points in the Bulls’ first meeting against the Spurs on Nov. 17.

"He has taken a monster leap this year," Popovich said. "What's really great about him is he seems to love the pressure of putting his team on his back. He has the character and the demeanor to do that."

The actual MVP ballots won't be due for another two months. The Bulls need to stay near the top of the Eastern Conference standings for Rose to have a realistic chance at the award.

That's why people are wondering what will happen when Noah returns to the lineup. Noah and Carlos Boozer have played together just nine times this season, and even then, Noah had already torn a ligament in his right thumb. He somehow managed to play for two weeks before having surgery Dec. 16.

The Bulls have kept pace with Boston and Miami even while Noah missed 30 games and Boozer skipped 18. That says as much about Rose as Thibodeau, who has lived up to his billing as a master strategist in his first year in Chicago.

"Thibs may be the most prepared coach in the league," Boozer said. "We trust in him and what his game plan is, then we go out and try to execute it."

The coach and star player are definitely on the same page. While Rose downplayed his performance Thursday, Thibodeau refused to place any special significance on a 10-point win over San Antonio.

"The statement is they did a good job getting ready to play," Thibodeau said of his players, providing the night's best punch line.

— Mike McGraw is in his 12th season covering the Bulls for the Daily Herald in suburban Chicago.
 

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