1. Fact or Fiction: Derrick Rose says hes the best player in the NBA. Is it true?
Avi Saini: Fiction times 100. When Derrick Rose answered the question stating he believes hes the best in the league, my jaw almost broke after hitting the ground as hard as it did. I love Rose and the confidence hes displaying in his abilities (as any basketball player should), but who is he trying to kid? Lebron James is the best in the league without question. If Rose truly believes that hes the best player in the league, I wish he would have taken the more political route with his answer by implying hes the best in the league without blatantly saying it.
Braedan Ritter: Fiction. LeBron James has been the best player in the NBA for a while now, and he doesnt look like he is going to give up his throne any time soon. But I also think Derrick Rose believes he is the best player in the NBA and I have absolutely no problem with him saying it (Rose also said in the interview that LeBron is the toughest player to defend). The players who have made it to the pros, the smallest percentage of elite basketball players, need this type of confidence. If you asked a lot of NBA players who they thought was the best player in the league, I would guess a good number would say themselves. While that makes them factually wrong, it doesnt mean they were wrong to say it. Dont we always complain when athletes throw out clichés in interviews? Now we complain when theyre honest?
Rose hasnt played in more than a year, so he obviously isnt going to be the best on the court when he returns in October, but for a guy who struggled with his confidence after being cleared to play last season, Id say this type of statement is a good sign.
Matt McHale: Fiction. Heres the thing: you have to actually play in the NBA to be the best player in the NBA, and Rose hasnt logged even a microsecond of PT since injuring his knee during the first game of the 2012 playoffs. Mind you, that was after he missed almost half of the lockout-shortened season due to a variety of injuries. Im a huge Derrick Rose fan, but given all the controversy of his non-return and LeBrons overwhelming MVP campaign last season, his words feelpoorly timed and poorly chosen. After a season of barely talking, this is not what Bulls fans wanted to hear. Rose should be preparing for a comeback for the ages, not channeling his inner Stephon Marbury.
