NBA Rumors: Chicago Bulls Derrick Rose Abandons Selfish Ways; Jimmy Butler, Pau Gasol 'Benefit' From Reformed Leader

By Mitch de Leon
NBA: Los Angeles Lakers at Chicago Bulls
Feb 21, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose (1) brings the ball up court against the Los Angeles Lakers during the first half at United Center.  Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

The Chicago Bulls have been working on climbing their way up in the Eastern Conference this NBA season. With a devastating loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the previous year, the Pau Gasol squad is looking into ways to finally beat LeBron James and his basketball team. Apart from making changes in their plays and developing their skills in the hardwood court, the Joakim Noah team appears to be making progress in establishing camaraderie and chemistry among the NBA stars in the roster.

One of the most widely speculated issues of the Chicago Bulls is the problematic relationship of Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler. Even before the NBA season started, the rumor mill had been busy churning out stories that one of the two notable stars might leave the Taj Gibson squad soon. For critics of Rose, they believe that the veteran will be the one to exit due to his extensive injuries and unreliable presence in the court.

Meanwhile, critics of Butler feel it would be better for the younger star to leave. Taking into consideration that Rose is the beloved son of Chicago, his fan base in the city has already been long established. Hence, Butler is deemed as a less popular face in the city. This means that the Chicago Bulls can please the majority of its fans if they opt to keep Rose as the face of the franchise.

Based on the latest reports, however, there appears to be no need to pick sides. Sources claim that Rose and Butler have finally found a way to make each other better and to jointly carry the Chicago Bulls to greatness. To be more specific, Rose has accepted and understood his role in the organization. Moreover, he has vowed to step up his game following a slump in his performance this NBA season.

"I just feel like I'm back," shared Rose via ESPN. He added, "I'm just out there playing. Whatever I can do to get my team a victory, that's what I'm going to try to do. When I'm out there, they're giving me midrange [shots], they're giving me drives to the lane. Just mixing up my game and trying to play a solid game while I'm out there."

Starting off the season with an injury in his orbital bone, the plays executed by Rose have often fallen short. This pushed Butler to take on the leadership role in an effort to save the Chicago Bulls from drifting away from their playoff and championship dreams. However, it looks like Rose is finally getting back his old All-Star form - the kind that made him one of the most valuable players in the NBA.

"Well, I think a big thing right now is we've had such good movement, the ball swinging side-to-side," noted Fred Hoiberg of Rose's recent performance and how it affected the team, according to Chicago Sun-Times. The Chicago Bulls head coach added, "We're making a lot quicker decisions than we were making earlier in the year. That benefits everybody. It's not always going to be the same person every night. Our guys have to understand that if you play the right way it's going to give you the best opportunity to win."

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