As soon as he was drafted first overall, Derrick Rose became a legend in Chicago. The local kid playing for the Chicago Bulls made a name for himself, putting the team back on the map. His success in the city culminated in the 2011 season, when he won the MVP award, but David Kenyon of Bleacher Report believes that it’s one of the ones that “went to the wrong person.”
“Similar to Nash, the memory of Derrick Rose winning an MVP is enjoyable,” Kenwyon wrote. “Especially knowing the career-altering injury that soon followed, it’s sort of a relief that he brought home the award once. But you know why we’re here.
“In a near-unanimous vote, Rose bested Orlando Magic star Dwight Howard (and LeBron). Chicago won an NBA-leading 62 games behind Rose’s 25.0 points and 7.7 assists per game—and a hellacious, top-ranked defense that atoned for his shortcomings on that end. Howard, meanwhile, carried an injury-plagued Orlando roster to 52 wins. En route to his third straight Defensive Player of the Year honor, he averaged 22.9 points, 14.1 rebounds, 2.4 blocks and 1.4 steals. Rose remains the youngest MVP winner at 22 years old.”
With Dwight Howard’s incredible season going overlooked, as well as LeBron James’, should Rose have won the award in hindsight?
