Derrick Rose returned to the court on Thursday after recovering from groin and ankle injuries, but in an 'unlike-Derrick-Rose' fashion, Chicago's reigning MVP couldn't land the majority of his shots. Despite his disappointing statistics, the Bulls came out on top in an overtime victory, quickly sparking conversations about just how threatening Miami actually is.
Bulls.com NBA writer Sam Smith joined the Dan Patrick Show to discuss Thursday night's matchup and whether teams should worry about the hype that's surrounded LeBron James and the rest of his clan.
The Bulls have no fear.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Chicago sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
"Miami's been blown out of a lot of games down the stretch, lost eight of their last 11 at home," Smith said. "I think now the whole league has looked and it and said, the Heat is just another team now. They're a good team, they could win... but we're not scared of them anymore.
"I know the Bulls fully feel they can beat them... now there's more of a sense of vulnerability about Miami. Their big guys don't perform at all, they've got Battier who's not done much for them. Where are they going to get scoring off the bench? Where are they going to get rebounding?"
Rose shot only one for 13 in Thursday's game, but Smith believes he's fully healed and just had an off night on the court.