There is a lot of growing confidence with the Chicago Bulls at this point in the season. The team is on a solid streak heading into the postseason as they are poised to get back Derrick Rose following a knee surgery originally believed to be season ending. As the team reaches the final games of the year, Joakim Noah is making it clear where the Bulls stand.
At this point like many expected, the road to the NBA Finals likely travels through Cleveland. The Atlanta Hawks continue to fly under the radar which has everyone focused on LeBron James and company. James has always had a solid rivalry with the Bulls dating back to his Miami Heat days and Noah is convinced that this time around the Bulls can get the best of him.
"I think we're a confident group," Noah said, via ESPN.com. "And it would be great to play them in the playoffs. It would be very, very exciting, something that I really hope happens. [Cleveland] is a great place to play basketball. Other than that, there's not much else to do. But when you get onto that court, it's a great place to play basketball. That's as much love as I'll give to Cleveland."
The Bulls have every right to be confident. The team has young stars in players like Nikola Mirotic while Jimmy Butler is having a career-high season. However, what matters most is getting Rose back. The point guard would not put a date on when he will be back in action, but he told ESPN's Lisa Salters that he is taking it one day at a time, but will be ready for the postseason.
"If anything, I'm just trying to get my mental [approach] together so when I come back it won't be like my previous times," Rose said, via ESPN.com. "I think I was away from the game too long [during] previous injuries, and with me missing five, six, seven weeks now, I think that my return is about to be [smoother]. I'm playing all right. For a guy that missed two years, coming back and just being able to be with these guys and still being on the game plan. What do you know, missed two years and still be on the game plan ... the team is preparing for you? I'm just grateful for that. I'm grateful to still be able to play this game."
Rose is likely tuning out any of the trade talk that has been circulating in recent days. If Rose can come back and catapult the Bulls into a deep playoff run, any talk of a trade will be ignored. However, right now, there is the speculation. According to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, the Bulls want to trade Rose, but no team will take on his contract and injury history. The point guard has suffered three season-ending knee injuries since 2012, but still has two years left on his contract worth $20 million and $21.3 million. No team will pick that up unless Rose proves he is healthy and competitive.