"There are a lot of lousy teams in the league, teams the Bulls can compete against and defeat even without their MVP. That's something Derrick Rose should remember when deciding how quickly he returns to the lineup.

The victory over the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday was a prime example. With Rose on the bench, the Bulls controlled the game from start to finish and improved to 2-1 in games Rose has missed because of a sprained left big toe.

Here's something else we've been reminded of in back-to-back games without Rose: C.J. Watson is a more-than-capable backup. He would start for a lot of teams. John Lucas III and veteran Mike James give the Bulls more quality depth."