Earlier this week, much was made of the fact that Chicago Bulls All-Star point guard Derrick Rose said he didn’t feel the defending Central Division champion Indiana Pacers are one of his team’s rivals. “People say that it’s a rivalry, but I don’t really see it,” Rose told ESPN before scoring 32 points in a 103-98 preseason win over the Pacers. “I say the team that is more like a rivalry is when Darren Collison was on the team. That one was more like a rivalry, but this team is a great team. They’ve already proven themselves last year by making it to the Eastern Conference Finals … If anything, by probably in a year or two, it could become a rival, but right now, people say it’s a rival … I just don’t see it right now.” Rose went on to say that the only team he really sees as a rival is the defending NBA champion Miami HEAT, and while Danny Granger and George Hill subsequently went on the record saying they feel like the Bulls are a big rival, Pacers All-Star forward Paul George told HOOPSWORLD recently that he doesn’t see the Rose’s Bulls as a rival, either. “Not really because they’re not the defending champions, they’re not the defending conference champions,” said George. “We are – or division champions, I should say. So it’s what he says, we know what’s, at the end of the day we know who’s the team that everybody’s gunning for, and that’s Miami. They’re the defending champions, that’s the team everybody has to go at, so I understand where he’s coming from. I feel the same way. The only team we should be worried about, I wouldn’t say worried about because every team’s a threat, but the only team that we should be really, I don’t know the words to say, but Miami is the team to beat, to wrap it all up and sum it all up, Miami is the team to beat.” Read more at http://www.hoopsworld.com/nba-sunday-paul-george-not-sweating-derrick-rose#EwMzuFTMDmRVaDzX.99
