Rookie of the Year Rose starts to move Chicago past MJ years

The best there ever was. The best there ever will be.

Those are the words at the base of the statue of Michael Jordan outside of the United Center in Chicago. The statement honors the man who won six titles in 13 seasons with the Bulls and serves as a warning for those who play hoops in the Windy City: Excellence has been established. The fan base won't be satisfied with anything less.

Jordan's shadow still spreads far and wide over the Bulls' franchise more than a decade after he hit that final shot in Utah, but a 20-year-old kid who grew up in the South Side of Chicago worshipping the man who cast it has the kind of talent to challenge the legacy.

It's no surprise that Derrick Rose was named the NBA's T-Mobile Rookie of the Year on Wednesday. He was first among all first-year players with 6.3 assists per game. He was second in scoring at 16.8 per game, trailing only O.J. Mayo of Memphis. Rose was No. 1 in our NBA.com Rookie Rankings for 21 out of the 24 weeks we ran them.

While Mayo, Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook and New Jersey's Brook Lopez all played Rookie of the Year-caliber ball at some point or another this season, Rose was consistent and at his best when it counted. He averaged 19.2 points and 7.5 assists a game in April as Chicago chased down a Playoffs bid.

He is the first Bulls player to win the Rookie of the Year outright since Jordan in 1984-85. (Elton Brand shared the award in '99-00.)

ESPN analyst Jalen Rose played in the Jordan shadow from 2001-04, when it was still fresh (while MJ was extending his career in Washington) and the fans in the stands still remembered the glory years.

"Since they saw greatness at the highest level, they know what it tastes like," Rose said. "So that's what they're anticipating, that's what they're wanting, that's what they flat-out deserve."

But whereas players like Eddy Curry, Tyson Chandler and Jamal Crawford could never live up to the post-Jordan pressure, Jalen Rose says Derrick Rose doesn't have that problem.

"It's only pressure when you don't have the game that he has," Jalen said. "It's easier, it's more fun, it's comfortable, it's everything you want it to be when you have the skill set that he has and you have the roster that he has. Think about it. He doesn't have to come in as the No. 1 pick and score 20 a night. He has Ben Gordon, he has John Salmons, he has Kirk Hinrich. They really did a good job in building a roster around him and then in a game like [Game 2], he can have 10 points and they'll still be OK."

Before you mention Game 2 of the Bulls' 1-1 series with the Celtics, you have to marvel again at Game 1.

That's when Rose made his mark on the franchise in ways that Jordan never did. This week was the 23rd anniversary of Jordan's postseason-record 63 points against the Celtics in Game 2 of first round in 1986. The Bulls lost that game, as well as every other game they ever played against Boston in the Playoffs.

Rose shattered that 0-10 mark by scoring 36 points in Chicago's win Saturday, tying Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most points scored by a rookie in his Playoffs debut.

Rose wore No. 23 in his lone season at Memphis in honor of Jordan but chose the No. 1 when he got to the league because ... well, a guy's number is generally off limits if he has a statue outside the building. The number Rose chose will be appropriate, though, if Rose can be The One to move the Bulls and their fans past the Jordan Era.

With his naming Monday as the league's Rookie of the Year, both he and Chicago are well on their way.