Bulls' jersey retirement emblematic of franchise's rut

Rose, who won the 2011 NBA MVP as a member of the Bulls, will have his No. 1 jersey raised to the rafters of the United Center Jan. 24. That's just shy of 20 years after the Bulls retired Scottie Pippen's No. 33 jersey in February 2006.

That's a long stretch without honoring a player, but the Bulls haven't had much success since Pippen left the team after the 1997-98 season. With Pippen and Michael Jordan, the Bulls won six titles in eight seasons. Since then, the team has reached the Eastern Conference Finals only once in 27 seasons.

Rose did play for that conference finalist in 2011, but played just 406 games for the Bulls in eight seasons, including one year when he sat out entirely after tearing his ACL in the 2012 playoffs. He was great for his first four seasons, winning Rookie of the Year and making three All-Star teams, but a series of knee injuries derailed his career. In the end, his teams won three playoff series with him.

It's not that Rose is unworthy of the honor, especially as a Chicago native who was part of their best team of the 21st century. But it's a bad sign that a guy with four good seasons is their most impressive player since the Jordan Era.

Of course, compared to the Bulls' current era, where they've won a single playoff game in the last eight seasons, the Rose era is a golden age. But when Rose's jersey finally gets hung up in the area, it's not just a reminder of his successes as much as it's a reminder of how mediocre the team has been since his departure.