When it comes to the modern history of the Chicago Bulls, there is no bigger what-if than point guard Derrick Rose. Although his peak was brief, one former player still holds him in very high regard.
Following an impressive college career at Memphis, the Bulls drafted Rose No. 1 overall in 2008. As a blue-chip prospect and a native of Chicago, he was seen as someone who could usher in a new era of the franchise.
Few players hit the ground running in the NBA the way Rose did in the late 2000s. He won Rookie of the Year in 2009 and landed All-Star honors in his second season. Then, at the age of 22, he became the youngest MVP in league history.
Unfortunately for Rose, his peak would be cut drastically short due to an extensive list of injuries. He managed to go on and have a long career, but was never able to reach his star-level production again.
Patrick Beverley utters bold take on ex-Bulls star Derrick Rose
As a native of Chicago himself, longtime NBA point guard Patrick Beverley is someone who has a lot of respect for Rose and what he was able to accomplish. During a recent episode of his podcast, he weighed in on how he feels things would have unfolded if injuries hadn't derailed his career.
Beverley was forced to remove one player from the group of Rose, Allen Iverson, Kyrie Irving, and Russell Westbrook. Though it was a tough choice, he settled on the OKC Thunder icon as the weakest link of the bunch.
While making the case to keep Rose, Beverley uttered a bold take on the former Bulls star.
"We said prime right? In his prime, he was the youngest MVP. What we talking about," Beverley said of Rose. "If D-Rose stay healthy, we'd probably be talking about probably the best point guard to ever play the game."
All in their prime… one has to go. Who gets the boot?
— Pat Bev Pod (@PatBevPod) September 15, 2025
- AI
- Russ
- Kyrie
- D Rose pic.twitter.com/oxamuqwcro
Rose paved the way for the modern point guard as a high-level athlete who produced big scoring numbers and played above the rim. Injuries might have hurt his all-time case, but he still managed to influence the game during his short stint at his apex.
After years of being a journeyman backup point guard, Rose decided to officially announce his retirement following the 2024 season.