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Derrick Rose's ACL surgery apparently went well, but his doctor says he may be out anywhere from eight to 12 months as a matter of recovery. If Rose misses next season, are the Bulls' playoff chances over?

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The NBA playoffs so far have been characterized by significant injuries to big-time players. Dwight Howard was out before the postseason began, Derrick Rose went down in the waning minutes of Game 1, and several other players (Baron Davis, Amare Stoudemire, etc.) have fallen victim to on- and off-court maladies. Consequently, we're seeing a lot of series that definitely will not go the distance -- there are six 3-1 series in play right now, along with two that have already been decided. The Nuggets in particular have had fits dealing with the new-look Kobe Bryant -- he's been more of a distributor late in games than he has in the past, where the game plan was simply "give it to Kobe."


Kobe's role?

Kobe Bryant's role in the fourth quarter is usually that of a force of nature, but these playoffs have seen him rely more on his teammates.

SportsNation

What would give the Lakers the best chance to win in the playoffs?

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Discuss (Total votes: 23,073)


Thunder or Spurs?

The Spurs and Thunder have already taken care of their two opponents, but it's still a long way to go before either team makes it to the finals.

SportsNation

Which team that has already advanced to the conference semifinals has the best shot at a title?

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Discuss (Total votes: 115,485)


Comeback chance?

The Bulls and Magic find themselves in the same 3-1 hole as the Nuggets and Hawks, although Denver and Atlanta didn't lose their franchise players early on.

SportsNation

Which team down 3-1 playing on Tuesday night has the best chance at winning its series?

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Discuss (Total votes: 6,778)

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It was supposed to be the Bulls' year -- or at least the best chance the Bulls have had of winning a championship since the Jordan years. Derrick Rose's torn ACL has likely put an end to Chicago's title hopes, unless the team discovers a sudden reserve of strength available only when their superstar is off the court. Some fans are questioning the decision to keep Rose on the court with the game very nearly won in the fourth quarter, but coach Tom Thibodeau isn't apologizing for playing his star.


Avoidable injury?

Rose injured himself with 1:22 remaining in the fourth quarter and the Bulls up by 12 points.

SportsNation

Do you agree with Tom Thibodeau's decision to keep Derrick Rose in the game with the Bulls up double digits late in the fourth?

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    46%
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Discuss (Total votes: 145,686)


Bulls' chances?

The Bulls are still quite a good team, and oddly enough had a winning record without Rose, although it's never a good thing to lose your star in the first game of the playoffs.

SportsNation

How far will the Bulls advance in the playoffs without Derrick Rose?

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    23%
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    47%
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    3%
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    6%

Discuss (Total votes: 63,449)


Rose or Howard?

Neither the Magic nor Bulls will have their star players available for the playoffs, a situation that puts both of their title hopes in jeopardy.

SportsNation

Whose team will miss them more in the playoffs?

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Discuss (Total votes: 93,469)


Olympic future?

Derrick Rose was to be a key factor in Team USA's Olympic plans, but he'll likely miss the London Games this summer.

SportsNation

How much will Team USA miss Derrick Rose in the Olympics?

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    29%
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Discuss (Total votes: 18,515)

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Derrick Rose takes his share of shots as the Bulls' go-to guy, and he's starting to get sick of it. Rose complained about the treatment he's received from players in the league after a hard foul from Charlie Villanueva. Is it just sour grapes for Rose?

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The Bulls got an up-close look Thursday night at what Dwight Howard could bring to their squad as the Magic center had 29 points and 18 rebounds in Orlando's 99-94 win over Chicago. Bulls guard Derrick Rose has said he's sick and tired of trade talk involving Howard, but the idea of the two stars on the same team must be a tempting one. The Bulls will have until the Ides of March to make a decision either way.


Are the Bulls title favorites?

The Bulls currently have the best record in the Eastern Conference, but they're top-heavy -- an off game from Derrick Rose leaves them vulnerable.

SportsNation

In their current incarnation, are the Bulls legitimate favorites to win the NBA Finals?

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Discuss (Total votes: 19,627)


Could Rose and Howard coexist?

Both players are used to being the No. 1 option on their current squads, but as we've seen with superstar duos in the past, one player generally has to step aside for the team to succeed.

SportsNation

Could Derrick Rose and Dwight Howard coexist on the same team?

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    82%
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Discuss (Total votes: 57,716)


Bulls or Heat?

LeBron James and Dwyane Wade are Derrick Rose's chief rivals in the Eastern Conference this season -- if he had Dwight Howard, would it be enough to overcome the Heat's Big Two?

SportsNation

Which would be a better 1-2 punch?

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Discuss (Total votes: 101,594)

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Was it a telling win for the Heat?

The Heat finally had Dwyane Wade. The Bulls still don't have Luol Deng. With all of that in mind, and with the Bulls still first in the East, how much should we make of the Heat's 97-93 win?

SportsNation

How big a deal was the Heat's 97-93 win against the Bulls?

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Discuss (Total votes: 18,550)


LeBron James or Derrick Rose?

The past two MVP winners lived up to the accolades on Sunday. James had 35 points and 11 rebounds; Rose had 34 points and six assists.

SportsNation

Which player would you rather have for the remainder of the regular season and playoffs?

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Discuss (Total votes: 92,620)


Was the final minute Heimlich-worthy?

Did we say lived up to the hype? That was true for at least 47 minutes in Sunday's game. But after trading missed free throws in the final minute, did the stars choke?

SportsNation

What's true of LeBron James and Derrick Rose in the final minute of Sunday's Heat-Bulls game?

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Which team would win a series?

The Bulls still lead the East by a game over the Heat. Would home-court advantage in the conference finals give them the last laugh?

SportsNation

Which team would win a seven-game series in which the Bulls had home-court advantage?

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Discuss (Total votes: 63,492)


Was it the dunk of the year?

Maybe it wasn't the game of the year, but did LeBron James pull off the dunk of the year by going over John Lucas? Watch the dunk here.

SportsNation

What's your take on LeBron James' dunk over John Lucas?

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Discuss (Total votes: 25,660)


Which teams rule the NBA? Our experts give you their take on basketball's balance of power each week with the ESPN.com Power Rankings, but that's only part of the equation. Which teams do you believe are the contenders and pretenders?

NBA Power Rankings

76ers

76ers

Philadelphia 76ers
14-6

Bobcats

Bobcats

Charlotte Bobcats
3-18

Bucks

Bucks

Milwaukee Bucks
8-11

Bulls

Bulls

Chicago Bulls
17-5

Cavaliers

Cavaliers

Cleveland Cavaliers
8-11

Celtics

Celtics

Boston Celtics
9-10

Clippers

Clippers

Los Angeles Clippers
11-6

Grizzlies

Grizzlies

Memphis Grizzlies
10-9

Hawks

Hawks

Atlanta Hawks
15-6

Heat

Heat

Miami Heat
15-5

Hornets

Hornets

New Orleans Hornets
4-16

Jazz

Jazz

Utah Jazz
11-7

Kings

Kings

Sacramento Kings
6-14

Knicks

Knicks

New York Knicks
7-13

Lakers

Lakers

Los Angeles Lakers
12-9

Magic

Magic

Orlando Magic
12-8

Mavericks

Mavericks

Dallas Mavericks
13-8

Nets

Nets

New Jersey Nets
7-14

Nuggets

Nuggets

Denver Nuggets
14-6

Pacers

Pacers

Indiana Pacers
13-6

Pistons

Pistons

Detroit Pistons
4-17

Raptors

Raptors

Toronto Raptors
7-14

Rockets

Rockets

Houston Rockets
12-8

Spurs

Spurs

San Antonio Spurs
12-9

Suns

Suns

Phoenix Suns
7-12

Thunder

Thunder

Oklahoma City Thunder
16-3

Timberwolves

Timberwolves

Minnesota Timberwolves
9-11

Trail Blazers

Trail Blazers

Portland Trail Blazers
12-8

Warriors

Warriors

Golden State Warriors
6-12

Wizards

Wizards

Washington Wizards
4-16

Your Rankings

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3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

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13.

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15.

16.

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30.

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Bulls at Heat the weekend's best?

Liverpool and Manchester United dominate soccer history. Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal dominate tennis today. But is Sunday's game between the Heat and Bulls the weekend prize?

SportsNation

What's the best rivalry playing out this weekend?

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Discuss (Total votes: 212,853)


Is LeBron James about to get worse?

Dwyane Wade may be back in the lineup for the showdown. But heading into Friday's game against the Knicks, LeBron James is surging and the Heat were 8-1 without Wade.

SportsNation

Is LeBron James a better player without Dwyane Wade?

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    61%
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Discuss (Total votes: 155,190)


Who is the real star in this game?

James is second in the NBA in scoring (29.1 points per game), but the reigning MVP on the other side is ahead of last year's statistical pace (21.1 points, 8.3 assists per game this season).

SportsNation

Who is the better player?

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Discuss (Total votes: 9,115)


Which team could get in the way?

Rose wasn't too happy about the Pacers celebrating a recent win in Chicago, but is Danny Granger's team No. 3 in the East?

SportsNation

Which of these teams has the best chance to prevent a Heat-Bulls Eastern Conference finals?

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Discuss (Total votes: 112,316)


There's no place like home?

Sunday's game will be in Miami, but is staying close to South Beach in the playoffs a must for the Heat, who trail the Bulls by two games for the top seed?

SportsNation

Which team needs home-court advantage more in the playoffs?

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    52%
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Discuss (Total votes: 8,868)

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We can understand if you don't want to take the time to grade your tech-support help on the other end of the telephone, but when we're talking about the dollars and emotion you've invested in sports, we think it's worth the effort. It's time for ESPN The Magazine's Ultimate Standings, in which SportsNation grades organizations on everything from ticket prices and stadium experience to the talent on the field, court or rink. Which team will end up on top this year? It depends on what you say.

Take part in the 2011 MLB survey
2010 MLB Ultimate Standings
1. Los Angeles Angels (Overall: No. 3)
2. Tampa Bay Rays (Overall: No. 6)
3. Colorado Rockies (Overall: No. 13)
4. Minnesota Twins (Overall: No. 14)
5. Atlanta Braves (Overall: No. 15)

Take part in the 2011 NFL survey
2010 NFL Ultimate Standings
1. New Orleans Saints (Overall: No. 1)
2. Indianapolis Colts (Overall: No. 4)
3. Green Bay Packers (Overall: No. 9)
4. Arizona Cardinals (Overall: No. 19)
5. Baltimore Ravens (Overall: No. 20)

Take part in the 2011 NBA survey
2010 NBA Ultimate Standings
1. Orlando Magic (Overall: No. 2)
2. San Antonio Spurs (Overall: No. 7)
3. Cleveland Cavaliers (Overall: No. 10)
4. Dallas Mavericks (Overall: No. 24)
5. Oklahoma City Thunder (Overall: No. 25)

Take part in the 2011 NHL survey
2010 NHL Ultimate Standings
1. Pittsburgh Penguins (Overall: No. 5)
2. Detroit Red Wings (Overall: No. 8)
3. Washington Capitals (Overall: No. 11)
4. San Jose Sharks (Overall: No. 12)
5. Chicago Blackhawks (Overall: No. 16)

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Carmelo Anthony wasn't always the biggest prize in the offseason shuffling of players from team to team, but the guy who wore that crown made his Decision a long time ago. Anthony has been The Guy Who Could Make Your Franchise A Contender ever since.

Currently, the Bulls and Knicks are the primary contenders for Anthony's talents, with the Nets a darkhorse third candidate. Chicago seems to have the best shot at landing Anthony, but some observers aren't so sure that a trade would be worth it. Any Anthony trade would likely have to involve Joakim Noah, and no less an authority than Scottie Pippen has said that he wouldn't let Noah go in order to get Carmelo. Would Chicago be foolish to pass up an opportunity to get Anthony for the sake of keeping Noah?

maxtime55

thibodeau, being a defensive coach will not want noah part of this deal. the bulls hold the upper hand b/c denver knows they have to get something. melo is not going to the nets. a team that won 10 games last year.

-- maxtime55
manejd

Should I get excited? No! Because the Bulls are dumb enough to let an opportunity like this fly by. I am more positive that within a couple of years (1 or2) , I will be saying, "man the bulls would have won a title with him, now he has won it with another team.

-- manejd

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video

The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame opens its doors to a new class of inductees tonight in Springfield, Mass. (which gave us basketball and Dr. Seuss within a 13-year span and has since taken the last 106 years pretty much off). And perhaps it's only fitting that all-time sidekick Scottie Pippen gets to share the night with one of only two players in NBA history to score more points than Michael Jordan (not to mention, the entire 1992 Dream Team).

Pippen spent his career ceding (sharing, if you're feeling charitable) the spotlight to Jordan, but is entering the Hall with the Mailman one legacy battle he can win? SportsNation blogger ricodade offers his own take on a "Robin" for the ages.

youmustbecrazy40

Congrats Pip!! Couldn't have done it without you. We all know that. As great as MJ is, you were definitely the most crucial/vital piece to his success and vice versa. The truest Batman/Robin duo of all-time! It's a great day to be a Bulls fan, watching your introductory into the Hall of fame!

-- Youmustbecrazy40
rocketsandtitans

i hate the mailman but even i know he should be in the Hall. on the other hand Scottie Pippen should never go to the hall. his plaque should be of MJ's head not his. he owes his career to his airness.

-- rocketsandtitans

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