The Chicago Bulls are entering the 2013-14 campaign with high expectations with Derrick Rose back after serious knee surgery and now that he is healthy once again, the team has jumped to 4-0 in the preseason and they will put that on the line on Friday night, as the team will take on the winless Indiana Pacers ate the United Center in Chicago.
Rose has said that he has put high expectations on himself for the season and the team is shaping up to be one of the toughest in the East, along with the Miami Heat, Pacers, New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets. The team added Mike Dunleavy in the offseason and feels that he can add a new element to the offense after the three point shooting was terrible last year and putting him with a core of Rose, Joakim Noah and Carolos Boozer could equal a title run for the team.
Rose was back at the United Center on Wednesday night for a game against the Pistons and the fans were ready for his return, as they chanted his name and MVP all night as he scored 22 points. The win over Detroit gave the team a 4-0 record in the preseason and now they will put that on the line on Friday against the Pacers at home again.
Boozer ended up with a double-double in the game with 10 points and 11 rebounds and Rose was back on the court after previously missing a game in Brazil with the team after dealing with some soreness in his groin. Joakim Noah was back in action with eight rebounds and the Bulls looked very strong, even though it was just a preseason matchup.
Rose knows that the league is gunning for him and last season the Bulls averaged under 94 points per game, ranked 29th in the league, in his absence. The team was in the top 10 in rebounding, assists and scoring defense, but not having Rose was a big blow and they wouldn't make a deep ruin after defeating the Brooklyn Nets in the first round of the playoffs. The team now has the chance to make a championship run in the East and to do so they will have to take down the Miami Heat, who have won two straight titles and the West three straight times.