Chicago, have you been naughty or nice this year? Boy, does Santa Claus have a present for you, Bulls fans. It’s twenty four years old, six foot three inches tall and is the face of your franchise. That’s right; Derrick Rose is set to return from injury early, in just a matter of weeks.

We all remember when it happened. Game One of the Eastern Conference Quarter Finals, Chicago versus Philadelphia. Derrick rose (excuse the pun) and came down hard in the dying minutes of the game and tore his ACL along with the Bulls championship hopes. Fans from every team cringed witnessing one of the greatest basketball players in the league falling in such agony, knowing exactly the detrimental effect it would have on the Bulls’ campaign.

It’s been eight months since the injury, and the Chicago Bulls have fought their way to a tie atop the Central Division, but are it is with a very mediocre eight win, eight loss record. Chicago seems desperate to get Rose and his leadership back into the team, but the organization hardly has the best record of minimizing its players’ injury risks. In fact, Chicago led by a significant amount in the dying minutes of the game Rose was injured in. Why on earth was he still on the court? Apparently they haven’t learned their lesson as Luol Deng played forty seven minutes in a game against the Bucks last week. Forty seven frickin’ minutes! Somebody tell this slave-driving coach his players aren’t building pyramids (actually, that’s a misnomer – the pyramids were built by paid workers, but you get the idea). It’s November. I would excuse idiocy in Game Seven of the Finals, but November?!

However, Rose may actually be ready for his return. He was sprinting in bursts after team practice on Monday and his lengthy rehabilitation process is reportedly in its closing stages. Bulls center Joakim Noah claimed that ‘Rose looks great in practice’, suggesting he believes the former MVP may be ready for return.

Only time will tell but the festive season will be a lot sweeter in the Windy City if Santa Claus does deliver this Christmas. It’s time for Derrick to rise. And yes, Lakers, Celtics, Knicks and Heat fans, be scared. This is one contender we shouldn’t have ruled out so early in the NBA season.

If Rose is one hundred percent, then the Bulls have just added a man who is arguably the NBA’s best point guard to a decent squad. His presence is a true game changer, and shifts the balance of power in the NBA’s Eastern Conference. The Bulls and Heat looked to be destined for an epic clash in last year’s playoffs when one play derailed all that for Chicago. This year, there is reason to believe we may see that matchup. Its one that NBA fans should look forward to.

Add to that the emergence of the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets this season, the ever present threat of the Celtics, and Miami is not the only contender in the Eastern Conference. It certainly makes for a more interesting playoff scenario than the one many anticipated in the summer.

And that is the last word…