Derrick Rose has been to the NBA Playoffs before, taking the Chicago Bulls to a Game 7 against the Boston Celtics in 2009 and making a cameo in a 4-1 loss to LeBron James' Cleveland Cavaliers a year ago. But he's never entered the playoffs quite like this, as the presumptive NBA MVP, as the biggest young star in the league, as the buzzingest buzzington, as the no-questions-asked best player in his series. Rose was a precocious and wildly inconsistent rookie in 2009, as his stand against the defending champ Celtics turned from curiosity to welcoming party.
Bulls Vs. Pacers, Game 1: Derrick Rose Takes Spotlight As Indiana Shoots For Shocker
Rose scored 36 in Game 1 of that series -- Game 1 of Rose's postseason career -- on the way to an overtime win on the road in Boston. Statement made. He followed it up with great performances in Games 4 and 6, the latter a triple overtime thriller in which Rose played 59 minutes and, with John Salmons, finished the job despite a 51-point night from Ray Allen.
The Bulls fell in that series, but wore down and exposed the Celtics, who fell to the Orlando Magic in the second round. Last year, Rose's second, the postseason magic wasn't quite there. But Rose availed himself well, hitting the 20-point mark in all five games against a great defensive team in Cleveland. It'd be a surprise if this year's Bulls' first-round series goes five, but not because Chicago is behind the eight-ball. That'd be the Pacers.
But there's hope in Indiana. Those 2009 Bulls, remember, were overwhelming underdogs against the champs. So were the 2008 Atlanta Hawks, who took Boston to seven. And the 2010 Oklahoma City Thunder, who took the title favorite Lakers to six. Weird things happen in the first round, and it isn't as if the Pacers aren't talented.
Indiana struggled off and on this season, with Frank Vogel sparking the squad after taking over for Jim O'Brien. A good representation of Indiana's bipolar play is the hot-and-cold production of Roy Hibbert. Hibbert finished the season with career highs across the board as the trade of Troy Murphy and injuries to Jeff Foster opened up more frontcourt minutes.
When Hibbert shoots well, the Pacers win. When he doesn’t, Indiana loses. Win-loss splits aren’t perfect, but Roy’s stand out: in wins, Hibbert shoot 51 percent; in losses, it’s 41 percent. Unfortunately for the Pacers, the Bulls have an incredible defense; centers shoot just .489 against Chicago, and Hibbert shot an awful 9-29 (31 percent) against the Bulls this season. (In Indiana’s single victory over Chicago, Hibbert went 5-9. Go figure.)
But as we learned with Rose back in 2009, the playoffs are different. Will Hibbert solidify his rising reputation? Will Chicago shut him down? Will the Pacers follow in the hallowed footsteps of the ‘09 Bulls, the ‘08 Hawks, the ‘10 Thunder? Tune in to find out. Game 1 begins at 1 p.m. ET Saturday on ESPN.
See more of our preview for Bulls vs. Pacers. For specific Bulls analysis, visit Blog-a-Bull and SB Nation Chicago. For more on the Pacers, visit Indy Cornrows and SB Nation Indiana.
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