Not long ago, Rose and Noah seemed destined for Bulls history
The Chicago Bulls are protective of their history, keeping the number of retired jerseys to just four, for Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Jerry Sloan and Bob Love.
As recently as two years ago, it seemed a safe bet that the next two numbers to hang from the rafters at the United Center would be No. 1 and No. 13, for Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah.
Rose was the hometown hero who became the youngest player to win MVP in the NBA while piloting the most successful Bulls team that didn't include Jordan.
Noah became one of the most popular players in team history by embodying the blue-collar spirit Chicago sports fans adore. Beyond that, no pro athlete in recent years did more in the community to try to address the city's epidemic of gun violence.
Two years ago, it was nearly impossible to imagine Rose and Noah coming to the United Center together as teammates on the New York Knicks. But now that it's happening, the split really wasn't all that difficult.
One rough year can change everything. Last season proved the Bulls needed some sort of change, so Rose was traded and Noah jumped to the Knicks as a free agent. They'll play as Bulls opponents for the first time Friday.
"They're going to get a lot of love," Jimmy Butler told reporters in Boston. "They will probably, definitely get a standing ovation. They've done so much for this organization, but even more than that they did so much for the community out there in Chicago."
There's no reason for any hard feelings. No one would try to argue Noah didn't give it his best shot with the Bulls. Anyone frustrated by Rose's post-knee injury performance can still appreciate the incredible MVP season of 2010-11.
"(Fans) should give them a good standing ovation," Taj Gibson said, according to bulls.com. "Blood, sweat and tears; they gave a lot of that blood, sweat and tears, but it's still going to be a business trip for them. If you are going to boo, then boo, but cheer for us because we have to beat them."
In sports, allegiances change quickly. Has there ever been an example of a player returning to his old city and the fans cheering for the home team to lose? Doubt it.
It's conceivable the Bulls might retire Rose's No. 1 someday, although two weeks ago, they were willing to give it to Michael Carter-Williams. Rose just turned 28, so the end of his career should be in the distant future.
Does Jimmy Butler now have the best chance of becoming the fifth retired jersey? Too soon to tell. He'll need better team success in the future.
Two years ago, the Bulls didn't blow a 3-1 lead against Cleveland, but could have taken a 3-1 lead against the Cavs in the Eastern Conference semifinals after Rose's buzzer-beating bank shot won Game 3. The return of Rose as a Chicago hero seemed possible 18 months ago.
Then everything changed with last season's disappointment. There's not a simple answer to what went wrong, besides having pieces that fit together poorly.
Butler had become the best player on the team, a role he wasn't used to and wasn't sure how to handle.
While trying to assert himself and become a leader, he ended up insulting Noah, sort of the reigning team leader. Rose wasn't used to not being the main man on his team.
Then while Pau Gasol tried to be a reasonable voice in the locker room, teammates visibly complained about his poor defense. It was all wrong.
Rose didn't embrace coach Fred Hoiberg's plan of playing faster. Was that because he missed training camp with an eye injury, because he was used to slowing the pace under Tom Thibodeau, because he simply refused to put extra stress on his knees?
That part isn't clear, but now that the Bulls are off to a good start this season, it's easy to see how badly this team needed to change.
Things go wrong and the course of team history is diverted, that's just how the sports world works. The Bulls might continue to surprise, they might not.
But it doesn't seem likely any Bulls fans will rue the day Rose or Noah left.
"We had a lot of fun (playing with Noah and Rose)," Gibson said. "The city was ecstatic, our team was ecstatic. We had a lot of great battles. Nothing can ever take away the battles we had."
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Scouting report
Bulls vs. New York Knicks at United Center, 7 p.m. Friday
TV: ESPN
Radio: WLS 890-AM
Outlook: The Bulls should know this opponent well, as Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah return to the United Center as visiting players for the first time in their NBA careers. The Knicks (1-3) are off to a slow start. Rose is averaging 16.3 points, second on the team to Carmelo Anthony's 21.0. Noah leads them in assists (5.5) and rebounds (7.5). Second-year PF Kristaps Porzingis is New York's other double-digit scorer at 14.5 ppg. The Knicks rank 27th in points per game (96.8), 29th in point differential (minus-13.5), 29th in rebound differential (minus-8.3) and 25th in defensive field-goal percentage (. 461).
Next: Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, 6 p.m. Saturday
- Mike McGraw