The Chicago Bulls of recent years have risen or fallen with Derrick Rose. A seeming championship trajectory earlier in this decade went wrong primarily because of his injuries. Now he is healthy again, and the Bulls have advanced to the N.B.A.’s Eastern Conference semifinals to face the Cleveland Cavaliers, who have a serious injury issue of their own.
Rose played every playoff game for the Bulls from 2009, his rookie year, to 2011, when the team was 62-20 and advanced to the conference finals and Rose won the N.B.A.’s Most Valuable Player Award.
The next season, the Bulls tied for the best record in the league and seemed poised for a championship.